Out to Canaan

The fourth novel in the Mitford Years series follows Father Timothy Kavanagh, the Episcopal rector at the Chapel of Our Lord and Savior in Mitford, a small mountain village, as he faces approaching retirement, a divisive mayoral election, and his efforts to reunite the scattered family of Dooley Barlowe, the teenage boy he has been raising for several years.

As winter loosens its grip, Father Tim and his wife, Cynthia, a children's book author and illustrator, hear a public address system while wrestling a massive armoire at the rectory: Mack Stroupe, a local hotdog stand owner, announces his candidacy for mayor against longtime incumbent Esther Cunningham, whose slogan is "Mitford Takes Care of Its Own." Mack's campaign, marked by free barbecues and suspicious amounts of money, introduces a drumbeat of anxiety that runs through the year.

Father Tim is also grappling with the legacy of Miss Sadie Baxter, a beloved parishioner who left her deteriorating Victorian mansion, Fernbank, to the church to support Hope House, the nursing home she funded. The vestry, the church's lay governing board, cannot agree whether to sell, lease, or restore the property. When Ingrid Swenson from Miami Development Group inquires about purchasing Fernbank for a "world-class spa," Father Tim agrees to a viewing but feels uneasy, especially after learning Mack Stroupe recommended the property.

Domestic life at the rectory grows lively. Lace Turner is a thirteen-year-old from the Creek, a dangerous settlement on Mitford's outskirts, now being raised by Dr. Hoppy Harper and his wife, Olivia. When Lace insists on nursing her ailing protector Harley Welch, Father Tim helps bring the frail Harley to the rectory guest room, where he recovers from a bleeding ulcer. Lace proposes that Harley live permanently in the basement, working for the Kavanaghs in exchange for room and board, and Father Tim and Cynthia agree. A housewarming party for Harley ends badly when Dooley steals Lace's old hat, a relic of her Creek childhood, and she attacks him; Dooley later confesses and apologizes. Meanwhile, Dooley's summer plans shift when veterinarian Hal Owen can no longer host him at Meadowgate Farm, so Father Tim finds the boy a job at The Local, Mitford's grocery store. The rectory fills with Puny Guthrie, Father Tim's house helper, and her infant twins, Cynthia's cat Violet, and the large dog Barnabas. After decades of bachelor solitude, Father Tim finds the chaos wonderful.

Father Tim presses Dooley's mother, Pauline Barlowe, who is recovering from alcohol addiction and bears scars from severe burns, for information about her scattered children. Pauline recalls that her second cousin Rhody Davis took little Jessie years ago, claiming the child "for life." With help from his secretary, Emma Newland, Father Tim uses an online database to locate Rhody in Lakeland, Florida. He, Cynthia, and Pauline drive south. At the house, Father Tim finds five-year-old Jessie alone and barefoot; down the hall, Rhody lies gravely ill with gangrene. He calls 911, and they leave with Jessie, who touches her mother's scarred face on the drive home and says, "You're pretty." Back in Mitford, Dooley sees his sister, turns pale, sinks to his knees, and whispers, "Jess?" She lifts her hand and waves.

Bishop Stuart Cullen visits Lord's Chapel to announce Father Tim's retirement, set for eighteen months hence, framing the transition as going "out to Canaan," a reference to Abraham's biblical journey to an unfamiliar land. Backlash follows the initial warmth: Parishioners express shock, anger, and denial. Father Tim struggles privately, fearful of the unfamiliar but feeling a tremulous excitement about stepping out on faith.

When Esther asks Father Tim to counter Mack's festival-day barbecue, he secretly recruits her brother-in-law Omer Cunningham, a pilot, to arrange an aerial spectacle. A biplane spells Esther's slogan in smoke across the sky, stunt planes perform, and a banner reads "ESTHER . . . RIGHT FOR MITFORD, RIGHT FOR MAYOR." The crowd, which had drifted to Mack's barbecue, rushes back, and some who planned to vote for Mack change their minds.

The Fernbank crisis intensifies when Miami Development offers only $198,000, far below the $295,000 minimum suggested by Ron Malcolm, the church's senior warden. The vestry pressures Father Tim to accept, and he yields. Just as the contract is about to be signed, Andrew Gregory, the antique dealer, calls from Italy offering $295,000. Father Tim accepts on the spot. Andrew reveals he married his fourth cousin Anna Nocelli during his trip; the couple and Anna's brother Tony, a chef, plan to live at Fernbank and open a small Italian restaurant called Lucera.

Ron Malcolm then reports that H. Tide Realty wants to buy the rectory for $105,000. Devastated, Father Tim and Cynthia have their worst argument before reconciling through tender letters. Father Tim decides to buy the rectory himself using funds from his mother's estate. When Lace points out that "H. Tide" spelled backward is "Edith," Father Tim confirms that Edith Mallory, a wealthy widow who once pursued him, is the undisclosed partner behind both H. Tide and Miami Development and has been bankrolling Mack's campaign. He rushes to warn Winnie Ivey at the Sweet Stuff Bakery, who has signed a contract to sell to H. Tide. With legal help from his cousin Walter, Winnie withdraws just in time.

Buck Leeper, the skilled construction superintendent who built Hope House, returns to renovate the church attic into Sunday School rooms. He grows close to Pauline and her children, but Father Tim discovers that Buck initiated a drinking session with Pauline, causing her to relapse. Buck, deeply remorseful, leaves Mitford. Pauline joins Alcoholics Anonymous and resolves not to see Buck again.

Other events weave through the months. Absalom Greer, an elderly revival preacher and spiritual mentor to Father Tim, dies, delivering a final charge: "The fields are white," echoing Jesus's words about the harvest of souls. A community softball game unites the town, with the Mitford Reds winning 11 to 10. Barnabas is struck by a car, and Dooley saves his life with expert emergency care, calling Father Tim "Dad" for the first time during the crisis. The annual Bane and Blessing church sale raises a record $22,000 for missions, though its chair, Esther Bolick, breaks her left wrist and right elbow and fractures her jaw in a fall beforehand.

On election day, Mack wins by one vote. Esther demands a recount, which produces a tie. Per the bylaws, a coin is flipped, and Esther wins, retaining the mayoralty.

As Christmas approaches, resolutions accumulate. Winnie returns from a Caribbean cruise with Thomas Kendall, a pastry chef who proposes marriage. Andrew and Anna settle into a glowing Fernbank. Four days before Christmas, Buck appears at the rectory door, having turned around in Alabama. In the firelit study, Father Tim leads Buck through a prayer of surrender. Buck weeps quietly as they embrace. In the kitchen, Father Tim and Cynthia discover Barnabas and Violet, longtime adversaries, sleeping together under the table, the cat curled against the dog's healing chest.

On Christmas Eve, with snow falling, Dooley drives the family through town past angels of light on every lamppost. Buck asks to be dropped at Pauline's house. Father Tim watches in the side mirror as Buck runs through the snow toward the warmly lit house. Dooley drives them home, and Father Tim sits in the passenger seat, feeling they have captured some valuable prize.