The Patron Saint of Liars: A Novel

My first Ann Patchett novel was Bel Canto, and I was hooked. I could see Renee Fleming as the opera singer and wondered why it had not been made into a movie. I assumed Patchett and Fleming were close friends. Then I went on to read The Magician's Assistant. It's odd to describe a book in which nothing much happens as good, but it was. Seinfeld was about nothing much, and it was good too. Then came that stinker of a book State of Wonder where a woman calls her lover 'Mr Fox,' and he calls her by her first name. I read about 20% of it and gave up on it. But I didn't give up on Ann Patchett, and this book make me glad I didn't. I can't believe it's a first novel. Maybe State of Wonder was really her first novel that she pulled out of a trunk after her name had been made. This wonderful book is about something. It is about the unknowing of another person, no matter how intimately you live with them. No matter how you see them every day. The human spirit remains a mystery forever. The book is divided into three sections. In the first we meet Rose. Married and pregnant, she leaves her husband in California, gets in her car drives. She ends up at an old hotel that has been converted into a home for unwed mothers. The mother superior doesn't believe Rose's story about having a husband (all the girls claim to have had a husband), but she takes her in anyway. Rose is different from the other girls. Making herself indispensable in the kitchen, she keeps her daughter, and stays on at the home. The second part is about Son, the only male on the place. All-around handyman and nice guy, he comes to love Rose. He is stunned when Rose agrees to marry him, and give the baby a name. It is his name on the birth certificate. He has secrets of his own, and he doesn't like it when Rose gives the baby the name of his first girlfriend. Part three is told by her daughter, Cecilia. Growing up in an home for unwed mothers is strange enough without being mistaken for one of the unwed mothers by the new girls. Cecilia tries to cope with a distant mother who tolerates her, but doesn't seem to love her. For love she turns to her father and the nuns. 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. Not enough superheroes I guess, but all the characters are heroic enough for me.

Ann Patchett has a brilliantly straightforward writing style that kept me engaged even as I was first mystified and then frustrated by her characters' failure to face up to the messes they had made. Only after reading several reviews on Amazon was I able to formulate my own opinion of the message. Spoiler alert:: The first section introduces the place: a hamlet in Kentucky known for nothing but the hot spring that is discovered by a farmer whose daughter is cured by the waters healing properties. After a succession of miraculous healings, "Baptist miracles", a developer builds a luxury hotel that draws the rich and famous to partake. The Crash of 1929 dries up much of the flow of paying guests and a drought dries up the spring. But still the hotel serves as a haven for miracle seekers. The Catholic church takes possession, first to use as a retirement home for nuns, then as a home for unwed mothers. The rest of the story can be seen as a succession of pilgrims for whom the hotel, now called St. Elizabeth's, is a refuge from a world they cannot face because of their inability to handle their own lies. The characters are complex, the story intriguing as the unwed mothers and the nuns learn to rely upon each other. The format of three narrators fills in the storyline with depth and creates an urgency for the reader. But I shared with many other reviewers a frustration with Rose who could not love and with her husbands and daughter who could not stop loving her too much. Perhaps the enigmatic title refers to the dependence of the characters on a sign from God through prayers to one saint or another, signs that lead to decisions of desperation, clinging to a microcosmic escape from the tangled web of their lies. The ending, which was deeply unsatisfactory to many reviewers, seems to be a clue to the continuing power of the place to draw in workers who dream of a purpose beyond the untenable life outside.

Ann 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.

First, I will give this book credit. I hadn't been able to get back to my reading habit for a long time, and this was the first time after a while that I finished a book in less than two days. But it wasn't because the book was that good, it was because I was so frustrated with the story that I couldn't wait to finish it. I did see the comments about the plot amounting to nothing, but I was curious enough about and let the good reviews work against my better judgments. To be fair, this book was engaging thanks to its good telling. Yes, "telling," not writing. I guess it got rave reviews because of the telling of events in the stories, and this style actually worked quite well for the side characters. I actually liked the side characters much better than the main ones because the telling was perfect for describing their roles in the storyline and interactions with the main characters. But isn't it bad when the side characters are the good thing? Ok, but these two good things could not save the whole book. The worst thing about this book was character development. It was impossible to sympathize with the main character, the mother because none of her motivations made any sense! At first, I was trying to justify her actions for depression and maybe even bipolar, but in the end, it was just sheer selfishness. And what made it even worse was that other people around her just let her get away with it, which is utter nonsense and the most unrealistic thing ever. Maybe it was the author's intention to create this really mysterious character, but this treatment just reduced the character to nothing more than a flat sheet of paper. All three main characters had no development. They were given an identity when they were first introduced, and they stuck with it for the rest of the story. No growth, no *real* inner struggle, or at least nothing convincing enough for me. And like most other low-rating reviews, this story amounted to nothing. I'm okay with not having all the answers because this resembles real life, but at least the characters should have some realizations or growth. Here, we got nothing after 400 something pages. That was why I was so frustrated. I know that Anne Patchett is a celebrated author, and this was her debut. So if you're curious about how it all started, you can have a go at this. At least the narrative was engaging enough, and as I said, some side characters were interesting and likable. But if you are looking for something intellectually fulfilling and meaningful, I doubt that you'll get any of that from this book. I just felt manipulated after reading it.

Lovely comfortable writing. Felt like home. Characters are unusual but well portrayed. Quick easy read. Memorable plot line. Most enjoyable.

Ann Patchett's first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars, managed to break so many rules! It was refreshing and well-plotted. A magnificent think-piece book — despite its ambiguous ending—which didn’t bother me at all. Although, in the final scenes, I was a bit disappointed that important plot strings to a valid conclusion remained dangling in air! Would I recommend this fascinating look into the protagonist Rose Clinton's life? Most definitely! Is this still a valid way to spend your reading hours! Heck yes and then some!

Such a great read!!! I couldn’t put this book down. Ann Patchett weaves an amazing story. I love her books. Definitely one of my favorites.

Ann Patchett is an astute storyteller. Her female characters in particular are well drawn. This story is told in three sections, each section written from the perspective of the three main characters: The mother, the 2nd husband, the daughter. Beautifully written. Descriptions are both spare and thorough and you don't notice the writer painting the picture, because the writing is so seamless. 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 perspective of the 2nd husband. I got a little bored in the middle. It feels like the writer was not completely sure of presenting a story from this character's perspective. The final section from the perspective of the daughter drew me back in and I liked the view through her eyes. I never completely understood the motive of the mother, why she choose the paths she chose, or if I really fully bought into her story. Nevertheless, the writing is so good, especially the dialogue in this book - it brings this story to life. For me, this was the reason the book resonates. The conversations between characters are so understated - realistic but poignant and natural - that I felt like I was an observer in the room witnessing every expression, gesture, voice and the silences. I don't waste much time on mediocre writing. If I don't like something even halfway through, I will put a book down. Life is short and I'm getting older, and there's no time for reading unremarkable books. I would read more of Ann Patchett's work.

Ann Patchett writes a well crafted story that meanders through the lives of ordinary people. It’s a very satisfying read.

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

Left me flat

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.

Was very disappointed with this book. I loved the Dutch House but this did not compare. I couldn't empathise with any of the main characters - particularly Rose who was selfish and cruel. I found all the characters very 1 dimensional and couldn't understand how everyone loved Rose who was just cold and indifferent to the needs of others. I really didn't see the point of the story and found it all very frustrating.