A review by michaelromeo
In the Company of Others by Jan Karon

2.0

Not Karon's best book. It takes many chapters before the hook sinks, it gets compelling for a couple of hundred pages and then it starts to get tiresome. I've enjoyed most of her books, my favorite, Home To Holly Springs, ranks among my favorites, but this one just isn't as engaging as most of her other works. The best parts are the sections where she recreates a 19th century doctor's journal. There she captures a mood and atmosphere that is tangible. The current day sections are full of people who strike me more as whiners than people tackling trials in their lives.I did feel a cringe when I read on the back cover that this was her personal favorite of all the books she's written, her "dark haired child". Usually when I see a comment like that the book comes across as self indulgent. This comes across as overly sentimental and a tad soap opera-ish.