Jan Karon facts for kids

Jan Karon (born March 14, 1937) is an American writer. She writes popular books for both adults and young readers. She is famous for her New York Times-bestselling Mitford novels. These books are about a kind priest named Father Timothy Kavanagh. They take place in the charming, made-up village of Mitford. Her latest Mitford novel, To Be Where You Are, came out in September 2017.

Jan Karon has received special honors for her writing. She was named a "lay Canon for the Arts" in Illinois. In 2000, she received an honorary degree from Nashotah House, a special school. In 2015, she won the Library of Virginia's Literary Lifetime Achievement Award. This award celebrates her long and successful writing career.

Early Life and Family

Jan Karon was born Janice Meredith Wilson in Lenoir, North Carolina. This town is in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. She was named after a novel called Janice Meredith. When she was very young, her parents separated. She then went to live with her grandparents on a farm in Hudson, North Carolina.

Her mother, Wanda, moved to Charlotte. Her father, Robert Wilson, joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. At age 12, Jan moved to Charlotte to live with her mother again. Her mother had remarried and had two more children. Jan left school when she was 14 years old. She married Robert Freeland in South Carolina, where it was legal for girls her age to marry. Robert worked at a tire store, and Jan worked in a clothing store. At 15, she had her only child, a daughter named Candace.

Starting a Writing Career

When Jan was 18, she and her daughter were on their own. She got a job as a receptionist at an advertising agency in Charlotte. She soon started writing advertising copy because she was good at it. In her early twenties, Jan married Bill Orth. He was a chemist and shared her interest in theater. Later, Jan married Arthur Karon, a clothing salesman. She then became known as Jan Karon. They moved to Berkeley, California, for three years.

Jan Karon always wanted to be a novelist. She tried writing books throughout the 1960s. After her third marriage ended, she returned to Charlotte. She worked in advertising again. By 1985, Jan had moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. She worked at a well-known advertising agency there. She helped create a famous tourism campaign for North Carolina. This campaign won a major award in 1987.

The Mitford Novels Begin

In 1988, Jan Karon left her advertising job. She moved to Blowing Rock, North Carolina. There, she started writing stories about Father Tim for a local newspaper. These stories were the beginning of her famous Mitford series. She tried to get her books published, but many publishers said no.

In 1994, Jan found a small religious publisher for her first book, At Home in Mitford. She worked hard to promote her book herself. She wrote press releases and called bookstores. Two more Mitford novels were published, but sales were still small. Then, a friend showed her book to Nancy Olson, a bookstore owner. Nancy loved the book and thought many people would enjoy it.

Nancy sent the book to an agent in New York. This led to Viking Penguin, a big publisher, releasing Jan's first three books in 1996. By the late 1990s, Jan Karon's books became New York Times bestsellers. Her stories about Mitford and Father Tim became very popular.

In 2021, Jan Karon opened The Mitford Museum. It is in her old elementary school in Hudson, North Carolina. The museum shares her family history and lots of information about her books. There is also a bookstore where you can buy signed copies of her books.

Personal Life

In 2000, Jan Karon moved from Blowing Rock to Albemarle County, Virginia. She bought and restored a historic farm built in 1816. It is called Esmont Farm.

Jan Karon's Books

The Mitford Years Series

• At Home in Mitford (1994)
• A Light in the Window (1995)
• These High, Green Hills (1996)
• Out to Canaan (1997)
• A New Song (1999)
• A Common Life: The Wedding Story (2001)
• In This Mountain (2002)
• Shepherds Abiding (2003)
• Light from Heaven (2005)
• Home to Holly Springs (2007)
• In the Company of Others (2010)
• Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (2014)
• Come Rain or Come Shine (2015)
• To Be Where You Are (2017)

Mitford Companion Books

These books offer more stories and insights from the Mitford world.

• Patches of Godlight: Father Tim's Favorite Quotes (2001)
• The Mitford Snowmen (2001)
• Esther's Gift: A Mitford Christmas Story (2002)
• Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader (2004)
• A Continual Feast: Words of Comfort and Celebration, collected by Father Tim (2005)
• The Mitford Bedside Companion (2006)
• Bathed in Prayer: Father Tim's Prayers, Sermons, and Reflections from the Mitford Series (2018)

Children's Books

Jan Karon has also written books for younger readers.

• Miss Fannie's Hat (1998)
• Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny (2000)
• Jan Karon Presents: Violet Comes to Stay (2006)
• Jan Karon Presents: Violet Goes to the Country (2007)

Other Books

• The Trellis and the Seed: A Book of Encouragement for All Ages (2003)