Patience and Sarah

By: Isabel Miller

Narrated by: Jean Smart, Janis Ian

Grammy Award Nominee, Best Spoken Word Album, 2016

Set in the 19th century, Isabel Miller's classic lesbian novel traces the relationship between Patience White, an educated painter, and Sarah Dowling, a farmer's daughter, whose romantic bond does not sit well with the puritanical New England community in which they live. They choose to live together and love each other freely, even though they know of no precedents for their relationship; they must trust their own instincts and see beyond the disdain of their neighbors.

Patience and Sarah is a meticulously researched historical novel, originally self-published by the author in 1969. This classic of GLBT literature garnered so much attention that the American Library Association created its first Stonewall Award specifically for it in 1971. Grammy Award-winning narrator Janis Ian and Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Jean Smart each perform as one of the characters in this dual-point-of-view love story. Their narration marks the first time that this beautiful work is available in audio and brings new life into this inspiring novel that is just as relevant today as it was decades ago.

In addition to being an inspiring love story, the audiobook for Patience and Sarah is an ideal listen for young-adult audiences. It is a story that shows how irrelevant race, religion, and gender are to love and that loving and being loved are what keep us human and sane.

©1969 Isabel Miller under the title "A Place for Us" (P)2014 Janis Ian

Critic reviews

"The writing has the directness and whimsicality of primitive paintings - it is like spiked gingerbread or surprising samplers. The tone is sweetly bold. And the tale evokes many kinds of frontier at once." ( The Village Voice)

"The story of a painter and a farmer in 19th-century New England. One of the first lesbian novels with a happy ending and, in 1971, the first recipient of ALA's Stonewall Book Award." ( Library Journal)

"Janis Ian and Jean Smart bring exquisite joy, vulnerability, and honesty to their narration of Isabel Miller's 1969 historical fiction novel.... As the two women realize their feelings for each other, the narrators take on a tender tone and slow their pace, allowing their romantic epiphany to unfold. This makes for a touchingly intimate listening experience." ( AudioFile)

Superbly Rendered Lesbian Classic

What made the experience of listening to Patience and Sarah the most enjoyable?

Janis Ian and Jean Smart render their characters perfectly. Their diction is flawless, and the drama is not overdone. Janis Ian is so convincing that I could almost picture her as being 5'8". Best of all, the story has a happy ending.

Wonderful!

Such a sweet and tender love story! These two women and their quest to be together and live during a time when the only thing a woman had to look forward to was marriage and children. Could not stop listening! Awesome performance.

Purest Love

No matter what you think you believe about love, this book will redefine it. Only the most cruelly brainwashed will be able to hear these words and not equate them to their own love. I fell deeper into my own love, just hearing it.

Great romance

So very well written. It's just hard to imagine having that those feelings then. The world is just becoming open again.

Wonderful

I got so wrapped up in this beautiful story and performances you have no idea