The Patron Saint of Liars

By: Ann Patchett

Narrated by: Julia Gibson

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

St. Elizabeth's is a lovely old place in a small town in Kentucky that used to be the beautiful Hotel Louisa. In the 1960s, it is a home for unwed mothers run by nuns. Life at St. Elizabeth's is not unpleasant, but it is temporary. All the pregnant women who come there will go home within the year. Except for Rose, a beautiful, mysterious woman, who is neither unwed nor alone. 

She is simply pregnant and doesn't want her husband or her mother to know. She plans to give her baby up because she knows she cannot be the mother the baby 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. She cannot remain forever untouched by what she left behind and who she has become since the leaving.

A beautiful debut novel about life and love and faith.

©1992 Ann Patchett (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic Reviews

"Thoughtful....a complex character study." (Library Journal)

"In an assured, warm, and graceful style, a moving novel that touches on the healing powers of chance sanctuaries of love and fancy in the acrid realities of living." (Kirkus Reviews)

Well-crafted, Painful But Worth Finishing

I dislike books where there are no likable characters - unfortunately this is one. While there are many characters that evoke sympathy from the reader, the book overall is a depiction of one unfortunate character after another passing through life with their own struggle, each isolated in a unique way. It would have been helpful to have shown the reason for this more clearly -- certainly the ending doesn't do it. But there is just no getting around the fact that it is a sad story.
That said, it is well-written and well-crafted. Patchett has taken difficult subject matter and woven a story through the viewpoint of three characters, each a unique voice. The weaving together of their lives is honest and believable. The story is rich in symbolism that remains subtle throughout.
I could have bailed out several times along the way, but I kept coming back, intrigued to know "what happened next." I'm glad I lasted to the end. The ending may be less than satisfying but then the entire story is. Nevertheless it does provide an ultimate resolution that it would be a shame to miss.

Incomplete

I liked this book but yet was disappointed. Reading other reviews one in particular stuck in my mind and I agree with it. I don't like people like Rose in real life and I didn't like this character. I couldn't understand how she could do those things to the most important people in her life. And, I couldn't understand how the people around Rose could love a person like her so much when she offered so little emotionally to them. I may have missed the point (am not sure if I got it or not) but they were all liars in one way or another so I guess they could overlook this. I was waiting for some kind of revelation to Cecelia at the end of the book and was disappointed when her father just kind of left. I felt I was left hanging by the "sign from God" explanation - I just didn't get it.

The narrator is incredibly irritating!

What disappointed you about The Patron Saint of Liars?

These audiobooks are so hard to listen to when the narrator is bad! I don't undertand why they aren't chosen more carefully?

What didn’t you like about Julia Gibson’s performance?

Accent was so unauthentically Southern....

A Little Lost

Ann Patchett has had finer moments. Her main character is so closed that she is hard to understand, and i didn't connect as much to this as I have to her other books. "Run" is my all time favorite of hers!

My (second) Favorite Novel by Ann Patchett

I loved this book! Great story, great narration! I was hooked! This is my favorite Ann Patchett novel behind, "State of Wonder." I also really like "The Magician's Assistant," but this one is better. Happy listening!

Not her best

I've listened to a few other Patchett books--Bel Canto was my favorite, I also liked State of Wonder and The Magician's Assistant. I found The Patron Saint of Liars rather disappointing. Patchett still has a beautiful flow to her writing, but I found the character arcs unsatisfying and the ending was baffling and inconclusive.

Still, it could be your cup of tea, and it's worth a try if you're a Patchett fan. Solid narration.

fabulous read!!!

What made the experience of listening to The Patron Saint of Liars the most enjoyable?

great story; wonderful performance

What did you like best about this story?

all the characters were wonderful. This woman did what we all wish we could sometimes do, but would not!

Have you listened to any of Julia Gibson???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, I have & always enjoy her performances. She has a beautiful speaking voice.

OK

Story was ok. Slow at parts. It left me with an empty sad feeling. Not much happiness.

Pointlessness Drawn Out

What would have made The Patron Saint of Liars better?

A story line VS just rambling

Would you ever listen to anything by Ann Patchett again?

I loved the State of Wonder and Disliked Patron Saint of Liars - so maybe

Which character – as performed by Julia Gibson – was your favorite?

the child Cecilia

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

boredom and hopelessness

Disappointed

I LOVE Ann Patchett, but this novel left me disappointed. Ann Patchett has a way of making her characters completely relatable. Even though they could not be less similar to you, you find yourself completely invested in him/her. I could not relate to the main character in this book, however. Instead, I came to despise her. I was also disappointed in the ending -- or lack there of. Too bad.