The Patron Saint of Liars
by Ann Patchett
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St. Elizabeth's is a home for unwed mothers in the 1960s. Life there is not unpleasant, and for most, it is temporary. Not so for Rose, a beautiful, mysterious woman who comes to the home pregnant but not unwed. She plans to give up her baby because she knows she cannot be the mother it needs. But St. Elizabeth's is near a healing spring, and when Rose's time draws near, she cannot go through with her plans, not all of them. And she cannot remain forever untouched by what she has left behind show more . . . and who she has become in the leaving. show lessTags
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When Rose Clinton becomes pregnant in the summer of 1967, she knows that without dramatic action on her part she will be locked in an unfulfilling marriage for the rest of her life. And so she leaves, heading east from her home in California to the St Elizabeth’s home for unwed mothers in rural Kentucky. This former hotel, now run by an order of nuns, is a refuge for “fallen women” who are expected to give up their newborns for adoption and then return to their former life as if they had only been away on holiday visiting relatives.
Rose, too, does not plan to keep her baby. But she also knows she will not go back to California. During the course of her pregnancy, she eases into the rhythm of life at St Elizabeth’s, first helping show more Sister Evangeline in the kitchen and over time assuming most of the daily food service responsibilities. By the time her baby is born St Elizabeth’s is home, and Rose has found a way to make a life for herself within the social norms of the day.
Some novelists might choose to end things right there. But Ann Patchett has much more in store for Rose and St Elizabeth’s over the ensuing 15 years. Rose is a strong woman, but unable to show affection let alone create and sustain intimate relationships. Only Sister Evangeline, one of the most endearing characters in this book, is able to penetrate her shell. But even so, she is unable to heal Rose’s inner wounds. And again, some novelists might have taken the storyline to a very predictable place. But in this, her 1992 debut, Ann Patchett shows signs of the brilliance that led to Bel Canto and other novels, with a surprising, emotional and satisfying resolution to Rose’s story. show less
Rose, too, does not plan to keep her baby. But she also knows she will not go back to California. During the course of her pregnancy, she eases into the rhythm of life at St Elizabeth’s, first helping show more Sister Evangeline in the kitchen and over time assuming most of the daily food service responsibilities. By the time her baby is born St Elizabeth’s is home, and Rose has found a way to make a life for herself within the social norms of the day.
Some novelists might choose to end things right there. But Ann Patchett has much more in store for Rose and St Elizabeth’s over the ensuing 15 years. Rose is a strong woman, but unable to show affection let alone create and sustain intimate relationships. Only Sister Evangeline, one of the most endearing characters in this book, is able to penetrate her shell. But even so, she is unable to heal Rose’s inner wounds. And again, some novelists might have taken the storyline to a very predictable place. But in this, her 1992 debut, Ann Patchett shows signs of the brilliance that led to Bel Canto and other novels, with a surprising, emotional and satisfying resolution to Rose’s story. show less
Homes for unwed mothers were built on lies. Compassionate lies perhaps, but lies just the same. Ann Patchett explored the nature of these lies in "The Patron Saint of Liars," her first novel, published in 1992. Pregnant girls, usually in their teens, would come to these hideaways, have their babies after a few months, give them away for adoption and then return to their homes and schools, pretending to have just been away visiting a relative.
Rose, the central character of Patchett's novel, leaves the other liars in the story in her wake. She is not unmarried like the other girls. Rather she is married to a nice, devoted man whom she has never loved. She views her pregnancy as a chain that will forever link her to Thomas Clinton. So she show more climbs into his car and drives from California to Habit, Ky., where a Catholic home for unwed mothers is operated in a former resort. She doesn't mention the husband she left behind.
Then things really get complicated. The middle-aged handyman called Son, himself a lost soul, falls in love with this tall, pregnant beauty and suggests she marry him so they can raise her baby together. She loves Son no more than she does her other husband, but she has nowhere else to go. Besides she has been helping out the old nun who runs the kitchen and realizes the place needs her, even if they are unwilling to pay her.
The first third of the novel is told from Rose's point of view. In the middle third we learn more about Son's life, how he got shot in basic training before he would even get to a World War II battlefield, how the girl he loved in high school drowned and how he wound up in Habit. Cecilia, Rose and Son's now teen-age daughter, takes over in the final third, the most heart-wrenching because we see how the accumulation of lies impact the innocent. When Thomas Clinton finally tracks down Rose, the story approaches its climax.
In novels about secrets and lies, we expect the truth to eventually be revealed to all. Yet in Patchett's hands, most of those secrets and lies remain in place, the lies perhaps just becoming a little whiter, a little more compassionate. This may be her first novel, but she already writes like a master. show less
Rose, the central character of Patchett's novel, leaves the other liars in the story in her wake. She is not unmarried like the other girls. Rather she is married to a nice, devoted man whom she has never loved. She views her pregnancy as a chain that will forever link her to Thomas Clinton. So she show more climbs into his car and drives from California to Habit, Ky., where a Catholic home for unwed mothers is operated in a former resort. She doesn't mention the husband she left behind.
Then things really get complicated. The middle-aged handyman called Son, himself a lost soul, falls in love with this tall, pregnant beauty and suggests she marry him so they can raise her baby together. She loves Son no more than she does her other husband, but she has nowhere else to go. Besides she has been helping out the old nun who runs the kitchen and realizes the place needs her, even if they are unwilling to pay her.
The first third of the novel is told from Rose's point of view. In the middle third we learn more about Son's life, how he got shot in basic training before he would even get to a World War II battlefield, how the girl he loved in high school drowned and how he wound up in Habit. Cecilia, Rose and Son's now teen-age daughter, takes over in the final third, the most heart-wrenching because we see how the accumulation of lies impact the innocent. When Thomas Clinton finally tracks down Rose, the story approaches its climax.
In novels about secrets and lies, we expect the truth to eventually be revealed to all. Yet in Patchett's hands, most of those secrets and lies remain in place, the lies perhaps just becoming a little whiter, a little more compassionate. This may be her first novel, but she already writes like a master. show less
Patchett’s first book introduces us to Rose, a married woman who decides she’s never loved her husband and she wants out. She’s pregnant, but still decides to leave her life in California behind. She takes off and ends up at St. Elizabeth's, a Catholic home for unwed mothers in Kentucky.
Rose is a cold character and the first section of the book was hard for me to get into. About 1/3 of the way in we switch to a different point of view, that of the home’s handyman Son, and after that things clicked for me. By the end of the book we rotate perspective once more, seeing the world through Rose’s daughter Cecelia’s eyes. These alternative POVs made things work so much better because Rose is such an intentionally hard character show more to connect with. Since we started from Rose’s POV I should have understood her character better, but she kept the reader at such a distance.
I loved the interaction of the women at St. Elizabeth’s. There’s such an intense bond of shared experience, almost like a summer camp on steroids. I was reminded a little bit of the scene from When She Woke in the women’s home. The women form friendships quickly because they are all pregnant and alone in the world in some way.
I think what I loved about the book was the quiet rhythm that you get into without even realizing it. Not much happens, but there’s a steady flow of time, women come and go with the years and all the while Rose is a steady force, never changing. I also loved the character of Sister Evangeline, an older nun who is the only one who seems to understand Rose.
BOTTOM LINE: It’s an extremely good first novel. Patchett’s gift for storytelling has clearly improved with time, but I still enjoyed this one. I also love being able to compare her early work to her later work. show less
Rose is a cold character and the first section of the book was hard for me to get into. About 1/3 of the way in we switch to a different point of view, that of the home’s handyman Son, and after that things clicked for me. By the end of the book we rotate perspective once more, seeing the world through Rose’s daughter Cecelia’s eyes. These alternative POVs made things work so much better because Rose is such an intentionally hard character show more to connect with. Since we started from Rose’s POV I should have understood her character better, but she kept the reader at such a distance.
I loved the interaction of the women at St. Elizabeth’s. There’s such an intense bond of shared experience, almost like a summer camp on steroids. I was reminded a little bit of the scene from When She Woke in the women’s home. The women form friendships quickly because they are all pregnant and alone in the world in some way.
I think what I loved about the book was the quiet rhythm that you get into without even realizing it. Not much happens, but there’s a steady flow of time, women come and go with the years and all the while Rose is a steady force, never changing. I also loved the character of Sister Evangeline, an older nun who is the only one who seems to understand Rose.
BOTTOM LINE: It’s an extremely good first novel. Patchett’s gift for storytelling has clearly improved with time, but I still enjoyed this one. I also love being able to compare her early work to her later work. show less
This is my first Ann Patchett, recommended by my voracious but well-informed neighbor. I was swept away by Patchett's prose, her constant, pitch-perfect ability to highlight the telling detail. The characters were infuriating, dear, and captivating by turns.
Enjoyed seeing a true artist shining in her writing craft, and very glad I read it, although the NYT blurb on the cover calling it "A fairy tale. A delight," was very misleading.
I did not find it to be that at all.
Enjoyed seeing a true artist shining in her writing craft, and very glad I read it, although the NYT blurb on the cover calling it "A fairy tale. A delight," was very misleading.
I did not find it to be that at all.
For a story in which I progressively liked the main character less and less, I loved "The Patron Saint of Liars". Rose was 25 and living in Southern California when she found herself pregnant and married to a man she didn't love. After seeking guidance from her priest, he reluctantly directed her to a home for unwed mothers that was run by nuns in Habit, Kentucky. So one morning, after making his breakfast and dropping off her husband for work, Rose took to the open road in his car, and began the trip to Kentucky, never looking back. So begins Rose's life of deceit and pattern of running away from her problems. In the home for unwed mothers, Rose finds support and guidance from Sister Evangeline and the other pregnant girls and is show more introduced to "Son", the home's handyman. The story is divided into three parts and each part is told by a different character, which serves to move the story through time, from 1969 to 1985. I thought this novel was deep and layered with cultural and religious themes. I am greatly looking forward to discussing his story at Book Club, as the rich storyline will no doubt lead to deep exploration of the story. The only part I didn't enjoy was the ending, as it was surprisingly disappointing and unresolved. However, it was definately a great story and one that I would recommend to others. show less
61. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
reader: Julia Gibson
OPD: 1992
format: 14:10 audible audiobook (352 pages in print)
acquired: October 27 listened: Oct 27 – Nov 10
rating: 3½
genre/style: Novel theme: random audio
locations: centered on 1968 San Diego & Kentucky, and 1983 Kentucky
about the author: American author born in Los Angeles in 1963, who grew up mainly in Nashville.
Ann Patchett's first novel. After an opening with a touch of Catholic-like mythology, Rose narrates her leaving her husband in 1968, without telling him she's pregnant. She doesn't give a reason, and he hasn't done anything wrong other then be really dull. But Rose takes the car, leaves San Diego and drives east for Habit, Kentucky and a Catholic home for show more unmarried pregnant women. That's part one. Son Abbott narrates part 2 and Rose's daughter narrates part 3.
Rose is the subject of this book. She is somehow mysterious without really being mysterious. Her voice is strong, showing Patchett's power of clarity (for the first time). That makes Part one really good. There is psychological drama, literary games, Catholic themes and subversive themes. There's a lot going on. When the narrator switches, the book loses much of this dynamic, becomes just a story. It's not bad, and I wasn't tempted to bail. But the remaining 2/3 of the book felt a lot like a very very long epilogue.
A few extra notes. Patchett has some significant autographical elements here. She herself did runoff from a marriage. As did her mother, in a way, leaving southern California for Nashville, TN somewhere in the vicinity of 1968, when Patchett was young (but very much born).
I'm glad I read Patchett's first novel. I enjoyed it and I like having had a chance to get this window into her early writing.
2023
https://www.librarything.com/topic/354226#8281332 show less
reader: Julia Gibson
OPD: 1992
format: 14:10 audible audiobook (352 pages in print)
acquired: October 27 listened: Oct 27 – Nov 10
rating: 3½
genre/style: Novel theme: random audio
locations: centered on 1968 San Diego & Kentucky, and 1983 Kentucky
about the author: American author born in Los Angeles in 1963, who grew up mainly in Nashville.
Ann Patchett's first novel. After an opening with a touch of Catholic-like mythology, Rose narrates her leaving her husband in 1968, without telling him she's pregnant. She doesn't give a reason, and he hasn't done anything wrong other then be really dull. But Rose takes the car, leaves San Diego and drives east for Habit, Kentucky and a Catholic home for show more unmarried pregnant women. That's part one. Son Abbott narrates part 2 and Rose's daughter narrates part 3.
Rose is the subject of this book. She is somehow mysterious without really being mysterious. Her voice is strong, showing Patchett's power of clarity (for the first time). That makes Part one really good. There is psychological drama, literary games, Catholic themes and subversive themes. There's a lot going on. When the narrator switches, the book loses much of this dynamic, becomes just a story. It's not bad, and I wasn't tempted to bail. But the remaining 2/3 of the book felt a lot like a very very long epilogue.
A few extra notes. Patchett has some significant autographical elements here. She herself did runoff from a marriage. As did her mother, in a way, leaving southern California for Nashville, TN somewhere in the vicinity of 1968, when Patchett was young (but very much born).
I'm glad I read Patchett's first novel. I enjoyed it and I like having had a chance to get this window into her early writing.
2023
https://www.librarything.com/topic/354226#8281332 show less
This was a very well-written novel about a young woman who flees from her loveless marriage when finding out she's pregnant. She basically hops in the car, leaves her home in California, & drives to a home for unwed pregnant women/girls in Kentucky. It sounds fairly simple, but the story is really quite complex & moving, and despite the reader's mixed feelings about the main character of Rose, it's hard not to become emotionally involved in this book. The novel is split into three parts, each told by a different narrator, and follows the months of Rose's pregnancy, as well as several decades following.
The characterization of Rose in this story is unsettling. Despite being the main character, she is someone you feel you never really get show more to know, deep down. However, this doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book because it is so well written. This was actually the first Ann Patchett novel I've read, despite having some others in my TBR stack, and now I'm anxious to delve into those as well. show less
The characterization of Rose in this story is unsettling. Despite being the main character, she is someone you feel you never really get show more to know, deep down. However, this doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book because it is so well written. This was actually the first Ann Patchett novel I've read, despite having some others in my TBR stack, and now I'm anxious to delve into those as well. show less
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Author Information
31+ Works 55,560 Members
Ann Patchett was born on December 2, 1963. She received the Orange Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2002 for her novel Bel Canto. Her other novels include The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician's Assistant, and State of Wonder. She has also written several nonfiction works including Truth and Beauty: A Friendship, The Getaway show more Car, The Bookshop Strikes Back, and This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage. Ann's title's Commonweatlth and The Patron Saint of Liars made the New York Time bestseller list. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Patron Saint of Liars
- Original title
- The Patron Saint of Liars
- Original publication date
- 1992
- People/Characters
- Martha Rose Sloan Clinton Abbot; Wilson "Son" Eugene Abbot; Cecilia “Sissy” Helen Abbott; Thomas Clinton; Sister Evangeline; Angela “Angie” (show all 13); June Clatterbuck; Beatrice; Regina; Cecilia Stewart; Alice; Mother Corinne; Lorraine Stone
- Important places
- Hotel Louisa; Saint Elizabeth's; Habit, Kentucky, USA; Owensboro, Kentucky, USA; Ashland City, Tennessee, USA; Paris Island, South Carolina, USA (show all 7); Marina del Rey, California, USA
- Related movies
- The Patron Saint of Liars (1998 | IMDb)
- Dedication
- This book is for my parents, Frank Patchett and Jeanne Wilkinson Ray, and my grandmother, Eve Wilkinson.
- First words
- 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.
- Quotations
- But I could not pray for what I didn't want. I was careful with my prayers, now that they had been answered. (p. 28)
She was somewhere around seventy-five, and gravity had pulled at her through the years, making her heavier and closer to the ground with every step she took. (p. 57)
You can't pick up and leave everything behind because there is too much sadness in the world and not enough places to go. But at seventeen, I didn't understand, and so I left. (p. 207)
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. (p. 328)
... I'd tell them, 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... (p. 335)
There was a difference I knew, between being pregnant and being a mother. I was pregnant. (p. 35) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I was her sign from God.
- Blurbers
- See, Carolyn
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