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The Patron Saint of Liars: A Novel Paperback – Deckle Edge, July 11, 2023
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A New York Times Notable Book
Acclaimed author Ann Patchett's debut novel, hailed as "beautifully written . . . a first novel that second- and third-time novelists would envy for its grace, insight, and compassion” (Boston Herald)
St. Elizabeth’s, a home for unwed mothers in Habit, Kentucky, usually harbors its residents for only a little while. Not so Rose Clinton, a beautiful, mysterious woman who comes to the home pregnant but not unwed, and stays. She plans to give up her child, thinking she cannot be the mother it needs. But when Cecilia is born, Rose makes a place for herself and her daughter amid St. Elizabeth’s extended family of nuns and an ever-changing collection of pregnant teenage girls. Rose’s past won’t be kept away, though, even by St. Elizabeth’s; she cannot remain untouched by what she has left behind, even as she cannot change who she has become in the leaving.
- Print length400 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper Perennial
- Publication dateJuly 11, 2023
- Dimensions5.31 x 0.88 x 8 inches
- ISBN-100547520204
- ISBN-13978-0547520209
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A lovely, evocative tale about a beautiful mother, her abandoned daughter, the love-struck men who are devoted to them both—and the living saint who watches over them all. Maybe the Patron Saint of Liars really is a sign from God." — Carolyn See
"A delight." — Alice McDermott, New York Times
"A remarkable novel. . . . Ann Patchett is unique: a generous, fearless, and startlingly wise young writer." — New York Times
"Beautifully written . . . Ann Patchett has produced a first novel that second- and third-time novelists would envy for its grace, insight, and compassion." — Boston Herald
"A wonderful novel. A-" — Entertainment Weekly
From the Back Cover
BACK PANEL/COVER
A New York Times Notable Book
“Beautifully written . . . Ann Patchett has produced a first novel that second- and third-time novelists would envy for its grace, insight, and compassion.”—Boston Herald
“[A] wonderful first novel. A-”—Entertainment Weekly
St. Elizabeth’s, a home for unwed mothers in Habit, Kentucky, usually harbors its residents for only a little while. Not so Rose Clinton, a beautiful, mysterious woman who comes to the home pregnant but not unwed, and stays. She plans to give up her child, thinking she cannot be the mother it needs. But when Cecilia is born, Rose makes a place for herself and her daughter amid St. Elizabeth’s extended family of nuns and an ever-changing collection of pregnant teenage girls. Rose’s past won’t be kept away, though, even by St. Elizabeth’s; she cannot remain untouched by what she has left behind, even as she cannot change who she has become in the leaving.
“The Patron Saint of Liars is a remarkable novel . . . Ann Patchett is unique: a generous, fearless, and startlingly wise young writer.”—New York Times Book Review
ANN PATCHETT is the author of six novels, including Bel Canto, winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize. She has written for the Atlantic, Gourmet, the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, the Washington Post, and others. The Patron Saint of Liars was her best-selling debut novel.
About the Author
Ann Patchett is the author of novels, works of nonfiction, and children’s books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women’s Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
HABIT
Two o’clock in the morning, a Thursday morning, the
first bit of water broke through the ground of George Clatterbuck’s
back pasture in Habit, Kentucky, and not a living soul saw
it. Spring didn’t care. Water never needed anyone’s help to come
up through the ground once it was ready. There are rivers, hundreds
of them, running underground all the time, and because of
this a man can say he is walking on water. This was a hot spring
that had broken loose of its river to make mud in the grass, and it
kept on till it was a clear pool and then a little creek, cutting out
a snake’s path toward the Panther River. Water will always seek
out its own.
George Clatterbuck found it when it was already a pretty
steady stream. It was only fitting that he should be the one, seeing
as how it was his land. It was 1906. He was hunting for his
family’s dinner. He smelled the spring before he saw it, foul and
sulfurous as spoiled eggs. He thought it was a bad sign, that it
meant his land was infected and spitting up bile for relief. The
water was warm when he dipped in his hand, and he wiped it off
against the leg of his trousers. He was thinking about it, thinking
what he ought to do, when he saw a rabbit on the other
side of the field. It was as big a buck as he’d seen, and he knelt
down slowly to get off his shot. He had to shoot on his knees.
His father taught him that way because he was afraid the rifle’s
kick would knock the boy off his feet, thought George would
be safer close to the ground. But since that was the way George
learned, that was the only way he could ever do it, and now here
he was, grown with a family, going down on his knees like a man
in prayer to shoot a rabbit.
He blew the head clean off and didn’t disturb the pelt. He
thought he would tan the hide and give it to his daughter, June,
for her birthday. June, like many little girls, was partial to soft
things. By the time he’d tied the legs onto his belt he’d forgotten
about the water altogether.
It wasn’t long after that times turned hard for the Clatterbucks.
Both plow horses came down with colic, and Betsy, the
horse George rode to town, got a ringworm thick as your thumb
that no amount of gentian violet could clear. Not a week after,
every last one of his cows came down with mastitis that left them
all drier than bones. George had to get up every three hours in
the night and bottle-feed the calves, whose crying put his wife
beside herself. “Sounds like a dying child,” she said, and she shivered.
George didn’t say this to her, but he was thinking he might
have to slaughter the calves and take his losses. Bought milk was
more than he could afford.
Then, if he didn’t have enough to worry about, the horses
broke free of the corral. George took some rope and set out to
bring them back, cursing the rain and the mud and the stupid
animals with every step. He found them at that spring he had
forgotten, drinking so deeply he thought they’d founder. He
was frightened then because he thought such water would kill
them, and where would the money come from to buy three new
horses? But the horses were fine. Betsy’s hide was smooth where
the ringworm had been and the other two were past their own
disorder. George knew it was the spring that had done this, but
he didn’t know if it was the work of the Devil or the Lord. He
didn’t tell a soul when he drove his sick cows down to the water,
but by the time they came home their udders were so full they
looked like they might burst on the ground.
Then little June took sick and laid in her bed like a dull penny.
Doctor came from Owensboro and said it wasn’t the pox or scarlet
fever, but something else that was burning her alive. She was
slipping away so fast you could all but see her dying right before
your eyes, and there sat her parents, not a thing in the world
to do.
So George goes out in the middle of the night with a mason
jar. He walks in the dark to the spring, fills up the jar, and heads
home. He goes to his daughter’s room and looks at her pale face.
He prays. He takes the first drink of water for himself, thinking
that if it was to kill her he’d best die, too. It is foul-tasting, worse
even than the smell of it. He lifts up June’s head from her sweaty
pillow and pours the water down her throat, the whole jarful. He
only lets a little run down the sides of her face. He wonders for a
moment what it would be like to feed a child from his own body
as his wife had done, but the thought embarrasses him and he
lets it go. The next morning June is fine, perfect, better than new.
When the spring had saved his livestock, George kept it to
himself, not wanting to look foolish, but when it saved his
daughter he felt the call to witness. He went into the streets of
Habit and told what he had seen. At first the people were slow
in believing, but as hardships came to them and they went to the
spring for help, all was proved true.
Tales of what had happened spread by word of mouth and before
long people were coming up from as far away as Mississippi.
The truth was stretched out of shape through all the telling, and
soon the lame showed up wanting to walk and the blind wanting
to see. The spring can’t do everything, the townspeople said. It’s
wrong to expect so much.
And then one boy died right there at the water’s edge. He was
that sick by the time his folks brought him. He’s buried in Habit
now, two hundred miles away from his own kind.
One of the people who got word of the spring was a horse
breeder named Lewis Nelson, who lived in Lexington. Lewis’
wife, Louisa, had rheumatoid arthritis and her hands froze up on
her even though she was only twenty-two. They set off to Habit
to see if the water couldn’t do her some good. The Nelsons were
rich, and when they came to town they were looking for a hotel,
but there wasn’t one. George had made a vow to never make a
cent off the spring, and Habit said that was only fitting. So when
visitors came they were taken in with charity, many times by the
Clatterbucks themselves. This put the Nelsons ill at ease, since
they were used to giving charity and not receiving it.
June was seventeen that summer. She had grown up as well as
she had started out. She was a kind of a saint in the town, the first
one saved by the spring, but all that really meant to June was that
there were few boys bold enough to ask her out, and the ones
who did thought it would be a sin to try and kiss her. She gave up
her room for Mr. and Mrs. Nelson and slept on the sofa downstairs.
After her second trip to the spring the use of Louisa’s hands
came back to her and she taught June how to cross-stitch. Her
husband was full of joy. Lewis was a devout Catholic with a head
for figures. He saw the hand of God in the spring and thought
the thing to do would be to build a grand hotel in the back pasture.
No one was ever sure how he changed George Clatterbuck’s
mind, but probably it was by telling him that a lot more people
could be saved if there was a bigger place to stay and that George
was being unchristian by denying them. It’s easy to imagine that
Lewis had seen how well the hot-springs hotels had done in Arkansas
and Tennessee and knew there was some real money to
be made. Not long after that the architects came with their silver
mechanical pencils, and after them the builders and the gardeners.
In 1920 the Hotel Louisa opened its doors. They’d wanted to
call it the Hotel June, but June, afraid of scaring off the few dates
she had left, said thank you, no.
When the roses on the wallpaper were still in their first bloom
and the carpet was soft and springy beneath your feet, there
wasn’t a hotel in the South that could match the Hotel Louisa.
People came from Atlanta and Chicago and New Orleans,
some to be healed but most to play tennis on the grass courts
and dance in the fancy ballroom. Lewis sent for his collection of
horse prints in Lexington, and Louisa picked out velvet to cover
the settees for the lobby. There were two formal dining rooms
where people ate with real silver and drank champagne smuggled
down from Canada. At five o’clock everyone went out and
stood on the front porch to drink bourbon and soda. No one
from Habit ever went inside after the opening day. It made them
feel like they weren’t quite good enough. Even the Clatterbucks,
who were supposed to be partners in everything, kept to the
other side of the woods. You couldn’t see their house, not even
from the third-floor rooms. The guests never knew they had ever
been there at all.
The crash of the stock market in 1929 and the great drought
that came over the land were so close together that it was hard to
separate one from the other. Everything was coming to an end,
and the spring would not except itself. Maybe there was a reason
for it, that things got so hot that even the water underneath
the ground felt the pull of the dry air. In no time it went from a
trickle to a strip of mud and then not even that. But whatever it
was, the town of Habit took its leaving as a sign, just as they had
taken its arrival.
For the spring this was no hardship. It was just going back,
folding into one of those underground rivers. It would break
through later, years from then, someplace else. Next time people
might not be around for miles. It was very possible that no one
would ever drink from it at all.
Not long after all this, people stopped going to the hotel,
though it would be hard to say if it was because of the spring or
because they were the kind of people who had kept their money
in banks. June used to walk across the field in the evenings and
look at the place in the ground where her salvation had come
from. She saw men in suits and women in silk dresses carrying
out their own bags and taking hired cars north to catch trains.
The Nelsons tried for a long time to get the water to come
back. They hired people who said they knew how to coax it out
of the ground. But the spring was long gone by then. They stayed
on in the hotel alone until the middle thirties, hardly coming out
for anything. You could trail them as they moved from room to
room, one light going off and another one coming on. People
said they could set their watch by what window was bright at the
time. Then one day the Nelsons packed up and left without saying
good-bye.
Word came soon after that the Nelsons had made a gift of the
Hotel Louisa to the Catholic Church, and this put the fear of
God in everyone. It was one thing to have rich people in your
pasture, but when the Clatterbucks thought of Catholics, they
saw statues of the Virgin Mary going up in the yard, ten feet high.
The Clatterbucks could have kept the Catholics off, since they
owned the land, but nobody told them that. When the lawyers
came and knocked on their door, there was nothing for them to
do but look at the ground and shake their heads. A few weeks
later two buses pulled up, and a group of little old women in
white dresses were led or carried up the front stairs. The church
had changed the name of the Hotel Louisa to Saint Elizabeth’s
and turned it into a rest home for old nuns.
But the nuns were miserable. They’d been dirt poor all their
lives, following the word of their church. The idea of spending
their final days in an abandoned grand hotel made them restless.
Soon the tiny women started wandering over to the Clatterbucks’
in their bathrobes, searching out a simpler way of life.
The Clatterbucks, good Baptists every day of their lives, took
pity on the old Catholics and overcame their fears. They served
them platters of fried mush with sorghum, which were received
with heartfelt prayers and thanks. It made the family feel needed
again; the old women’s dependence called to mind the early days
of the spring when the sick were healed. They thought that God
had seen again what was best.
But the church did not agree, and two years later the buses returned
and took the nuns to Ohio. Mrs. Clatterbuck cried when
they left, and June touched the medal around her neck of Saint
Catherine of Siena that Sister Estelle had given her. She wore it
all her life.
The Hotel Louisa was getting worn, fretwork slipped from
the porch, shutters hung down. In any other town it would have
been ransacked, people breaking out windows and carrying off
furniture in the night. But the people of Habit were true to their
name and just kept on avoiding the old hotel like they did in the
days when they wouldn’t have had the right clothes to go inside
for a cup of coffee.
The Clatterbucks waited and watched. Then one day a station
wagon pulled up the front drive and two nuns, dressed in
what looked to be white bed sheets, and five big-bellied girls got
out. June and her mother were just coming through the woods at
the time, out for their daily walk.
The nuns cut across the dried creek bed, not knowing a thing.
They didn’t know how the hotel had come to be or that they
were standing on top of what might have been the closest thing
to a real miracle that any of them was ever going to see. They
were occupied, unloading the car.
“Pregnant girls,” Mrs. Clatterbuck said. “They’ve gone and
made it into a home for pregnant girls.”
Product details
- Publisher : Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (July 11, 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0547520204
- ISBN-13 : 978-0547520209
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.31 x 0.88 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #19,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #198 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #640 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
- #1,954 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Ann Patchett is the author of six novels, including Bel Canto, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction. She writes for the New York Times Magazine, Elle, GQ, the Financial Times, the Paris Review and Vogue. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoy the storyline and find the characters well-developed with interwoven personalities. They praise the writing quality as poetic and readable. The book is thought-provoking and engaging, with an engrossing subject matter. However, some readers felt the ending was disappointing and not as compelling as expected.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the storyline. They find it engaging and memorable. The writing style keeps them hooked, though some find the main character annoying.
"...It’s complicated. It’s interesting. Not a bit suspenseful, but psychological. All in a low-key way that speaks to the talent of this writer...." Read more
"...Ann Patchett is a sensational writer, and this is a very good novel...." Read more
"Ann Patchett fans have probably already read this amazing book. It was Ms. Patchett's first novel...." Read more
"...At least the narrative was engaging enough, and as I said, some side characters were interesting and likable...." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-developed characters with interwoven personalities. They appreciate the realistic and natural conversations between them. The book features three main characters who share their perspectives on a heartbreaking relationship.
"...The interwoven personalities, and sometimes the actions they take, leave you thinking about the book long after you’ve put it down. It’s complicated...." Read more
"...The conversations between characters are so understated - realistic but poignant and natural - that I felt like I was an observer in the room..." Read more
"...The characters are complex, the story intriguing as the unwed mothers and the nuns learn to rely upon each other...." Read more
"Exquisitely written with characters that will become an integral part of a life most of us will never know...." Read more
Customers find the writing engaging and well-written. They appreciate the poetic prose and sensitively drawn characters. The author is described as an astute wordsmith with clarity and spare yet thorough descriptions.
"...Ann Patchett is a sensational writer, and this is a very good novel...." Read more
"...Patchett writes with wonderful simplicity and clarity. Yes, there's a lot of inner dialogue and yes, there's a lot of backstory...." Read more
"Such a different story line and a very difficult storyline but beautifully written and enjoyable to read...." Read more
"...Beautifully written. Descriptions are both spare and thorough and you don't notice the writer painting the picture, because the writing is so..." Read more
Customers find the book poignant and natural. They say it engages their emotions and is a deeply felt study of the human condition. The writing is described as sympathetic, touching, and memorable.
"...It’s complicated. It’s interesting. Not a bit suspenseful, but psychological. All in a low-key way that speaks to the talent of this writer...." Read more
"...This is the kind of book that is so touching, that tears form in your eyes as you read. Here are some especially stunning quotes:..." Read more
"...conversations between characters are so understated - realistic but poignant and natural - that I felt like I was an observer in the room witnessing..." Read more
"...That didn’t happen. I’m glad I read the book as it was very revealing. It stirred up some difficult issues for me, but I think it was worthwhile." Read more
Customers find the book engaging with its characters and subject matter. They appreciate the three distinct points of view that allow for multiple interpretations. The faith-based themes are well-received, and the diverse female characters from different backgrounds and circumstances are portrayed. While the ending was abrupt, it conveyed a positive message.
"...I could see it being a good choice for a book club discussion. I also listened to the audiobook...." Read more
"...But, I will say that it is written in three clear and distinct points-of-view in sections...." Read more
"...This lovely story, told from three points of view, succeeds on every level. I wonder why they don't make this story into a movie...." Read more
"...No growth, no *real* inner struggle, or at least nothing convincing enough for me...." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's realism. Some find the characters realistic and true to themselves, with a magical quality. Others feel the story lacks consistency and feels unfinished.
"...It’s complicated. It’s interesting. Not a bit suspenseful, but psychological. All in a low-key way that speaks to the talent of this writer...." Read more
"...I can't believe that because it is so polished and well-done...." Read more
"...sympathize with the main character, the mother because none of her motivations made any sense!..." Read more
"...The conversations between characters are so understated - realistic but poignant and natural - that I felt like I was an observer in the room..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some found it engaging, with an interesting three-section structure. Others found it slow to develop and took a long time to finish.
"...The three sections are an interesting device - I will say that the middle section felt a little clunky being written in first person from the..." Read more
"I struggled reading this, much too slow for me. I thought the last chapters were so sad, didn’t want to continue to the end." Read more
"I was very excited for this book. It started off strong, but the last page pretty much ruined the whole thing for me...." Read more
"...three main characters , not in alternating chapters , but entire sections at a time ...." Read more
Customers dislike the ending of the book. They find the last chapters sad and the story amounted to nothing. Many feel the book is not as compelling as the title and more of a character study. The ending seems unsatisfying, slow to develop, and implausible.
"...But the scene struck me as egregiously implausible on several levels. For me that took a bit of the shine off an otherwise strong story...." Read more
"...And like most other low-rating reviews, this story amounted to nothing...." Read more
"Such a different story line and a very difficult storyline but beautifully written and enjoyable to read...." Read more
"...A final comment: I did not like the ending of this book...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2024I have now read 4 of Ann Patchett’s novels, and although this was her first, it’s my favorite so far. A complex, flawed, almost unfathomable main character, Rose, looks for signs from God about the direction her life should take and then is relentless in her pursuit. An interesting, but also not-particularly-interesting setting—a former luxury hotel, now a home for pregnant girls in Kentucky. The time period is the 1960s-1970s. Girls come and go; a gentle giant of a property caretaker helps out; an elderly nun has super powers of her own, the ability to see one’s future and one’s past. All is made more interesting by the birth of Rose’s child, a smart and precocious little girl. The interwoven personalities, and sometimes the actions they take, leave you thinking about the book long after you’ve put it down. It’s complicated. It’s interesting. Not a bit suspenseful, but psychological. All in a low-key way that speaks to the talent of this writer. I could see it being a good choice for a book club discussion. I also listened to the audiobook. Julia Gibson is an excellent narrator, who brings the characters to life. I highly recommend this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2024“Don’t ask me how I knew this, it was something about the look on his face when he saw her: he was a Catholic down to his bones. There’s a way a Catholic looks at a nun, even more than at a priest, like she’s a holy relic or something. The Shroud of Turin sitting in a chair.” (p380)
Ann Patchett is a sensational writer, and this is a very good novel. For me, however, “Liars” doesn’t rise to the level of “Bel Canto” or “Tom Lake”.
Patchett divides the story into three parts, each narrated by a different major character. I see the story in two parts, however. The first part – the setup – is interesting but relatively straightforward, while the second is the powerful, emotionally difficult story that matters. Separating the two parts is a critical scene that drives the plot forward. But the scene struck me as egregiously implausible on several levels. For me that took a bit of the shine off an otherwise strong story. It also made the ending, if not quite predictable, at least unsurprising. I wish Patchett had crafted that pivotal, transitional moment more credibly. I’m certain she could have done so.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2017Ann Patchett fans have probably already read this amazing book. It was Ms. Patchett's first novel. I can't believe that because it is so polished and well-done. I am not a full-fledged Ann Patchett fan because I found Commonwealth tedious at best and I only modestly enjoyed State of Wonder. But I loved Bel Canto and I have to say, I loved The Patron Saint of Liars.
The story is about a young woman who felt trapped in her life. She's a devote Catholic and doesn't see divorce as an option. Instead she decides to leave her life and go as far away as possible. Unfortunately, she must leave not only people with whom she feels trapped but also her beloved mother. She leaves with no real plan except to find a good family who will take her baby.
Not to spoil the story, I will leave it there. You'll have to read it to find out more. But, I will say that it is written in three clear and distinct points-of-view in sections. Each tells more about the inner workings of those three characters and their relationships to one another. That's one of my favorite kinds of books to read. That's why Susan Howach is one of my all-time favorite writers.
Patchett writes with wonderful simplicity and clarity. Yes, there's a lot of inner dialogue and yes, there's a lot of backstory. But, the author handles both so well. This is the kind of book that is so touching, that tears form in your eyes as you read.
Here are some especially stunning quotes:
People think you have to be going someplace, when, in fact, the ride is plenty.
There was a loneliness in being answered, as if God and I had less to say to each other now.
It was a time in my life when a Junior Mint could meet the difference between happiness and unhappiness.
If people do have more than one life in a lifetime, they should be careful to make sure the different versions of the past never overlap.
...missing people was a full-time job, being sorry about what was gone was going to take every waking minute now, so much time and energy that I had no choice but to stay right on that spot until they decided to come back.
This is a book about loneliness. I felt the rawness of Rose's loneliness from the first page. She could love deeply and she could hurt others deeply.
My only negative in this first novel is the redundancy. We heard how beautiful Rose was one or two or three times too many. As a reader, I wanted to say, "Okay, I get it!" But, overlooking that sleight, I can say this is a must-read and on my list of all-time favorite books.
Top reviews from other countries
- Terry CarsonReviewed in Canada on December 24, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful family saga
Ann Patchett writes a well crafted story that meanders through the lives of ordinary people. It’s a very satisfying read.
- Antony SimpsonReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 17, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett (From AntonySimpson.com)
Some people are a mystery. What they think, what motivates them to act in the way that they do and why they tell the half-truths or lies to those closest to them. The reasons for all of the above are only known to themselves.
In Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett, Rose is a mystery.
Rose is married to a sweet man, who allows her the freedom to spend all day doing what she loves – driving. For Rose the destination isn’t important, just the journey and the freedom it brings.
Rose discovers that she’s pregnant and takes off driving across to the other side of America. She leaves her husband a simple note.
Rose heads for St. Elizabeth’s. St. Elizabeth’s is a former hotel, that is run by Roman Catholic Nuns. It is a place where women go to complete their pregnancy, give birth and then give their baby up for adoption.
But nothing works out like Rose planned. Rose meets Son, a handyman more than twenty years her senior. She finds a place in the kitchen, helping Sister Evangeline out with the cooking. Sister Evangeline and Rose become close friends, but that’s because Sister Evangeline accepts that Rose will never open up about her past or herself. Rose also meets the kind June Clatterbuck, who owns the land St. Elizabeth’s is on and lives across a field.
There’s nothing I could writes in this review to explain the brilliance of this Patron Saint of Liars. The first person perspective is perfect and the changes between the three main characters happens at exactly the right times.
The description is ideal, informative and ignites the readers imagination. The pacing, set over a lifetime is impeccable. Each of the characters and their development is superb.
Patron Saint of Liars is a pleasurable read, that captivates throughout and will leave the reader wanting more. It is Patchett’s writing at her very best. It would make a blockbuster of a film.
I don’t grade reviews, but if I did Patron Saint of Liars would get 12 out of 10. You simply must read this fantastic and life-changing work of fiction.
Review soon,
Antony
One person found this helpfulReport - Amazon CustomerReviewed in Australia on December 2, 2020
2.0 out of 5 stars It’s weird
Left me flat
- BrendaReviewed in Canada on April 15, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed but dissatisfied with the ending
Agree that the main character probably was on the spectrum otherwise she was pretty frustrating. Just thought things might wrap up better at the end.
- AnonReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Kindle edition full of typos
Excellent novel as always from Ann Patchett but the Kindle edition is riddled with typos. It looks as if it was scanned from a printed version and no-one bothered to proof read. Very disappointing.