The Mitford series has moved the hearts of millions of fans. Shepherds Abiding, which is accompanied here by two additional short stories, is a wonderful Christmas gift for all listeners. When Father Tim finds a battered nativity scene in an antique shop, he embarks on a humble endeavor to save it.

Episcopal priest Father Tim Kavanagh, recently retired from service at Lord's Chapel in Mitford, accepts a post as interim priest at a small parish on an island off the Atlantic Coast where he and his wife Cynthia quickly become involved in the lives of a whole new community of people.

Father Tim, a bachelor rector living in a small town, gets more than he bargained for when he finds himself dealing with a very attractive neighbor, a wealthy widow, and his uninvited cousin.

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon returns with the fourteenth novel in the beloved Mitford series, featuring three generations of Kavanaghs. After twelve years of wrestling with the conflicts of retirement, Father Tim Kavanagh realizes he doesn't need a steady job to prove himself. Then he's given one--but what, exactly, does it prove? Meanwhile, newly married Dooley and Lace face a crisis that empties their bank account and turns their...

It looks like change is coming to the little town of Mitford with Father Tim and his wife contemplating retirement, a pushy candidate challenging the long-time mayor, the Sweet Stuff Bakery on the verge of closing, and a real estate agent trying to open a spa.

Father Tim and Cynthia travel to the west of Ireland where he plans to research his Kavanagh ancestry, but things go awry when Cynthia sprains her already-injured ankle, and a cherished painting is stolen from the lodge owners, putting another rift in their estranged family.