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The Patron Saint of Liars

By Ann Patchett
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett is a gripping exploration of secrets and redemption, set in a home for unwed mothers. The novel centres on Rose, a pregnant woman who leaves her life behind and takes refuge at St. Elizabeth’s, a Kentucky convent. As she navigates her new surroundings, themes of family, identity, and the consequences of choices unfold in a richly woven narrative.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate stories about personal transformation and complex moral dilemmas. It beautifully captures the struggles of a woman seeking redemption and truth in the midst of unexpected circumstances. If you like character-driven narratives set against the backdrop of a deeply traditional environment, this book may resonate with you.

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The first novel from the bestselling author of The Dutch House, Commonwealth and Bel Canto, Winner of The Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Pen/Faulkner Award.

The Sunday Times best selling author of The Dutch House and Bel Canto, Winner of The Women's Prize for Fiction

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Winner of the 2002 Orange Prize for her novel Bel Canto, Ann Patchett's stunning first novel is about "pilgrimage and healing... A fairy tale. A delight."

It is the 1960s. Rose Clinton arrives at St Elizabeth's, a Roman Catholic home for unwed mothers in Habit, Kentucky. Rose is a young woman who has decided to be "a liar for the rest of my life." She is pregnant but also married (although at St Elizabeth's she claims to be unwed), fleeing her dull but loving husband without telling him she is pregnant. Nor does she tell her widowed and much-loved mother, whom she also abandons in penance for leaving her marriage.

Rose plans to give her baby up because she knows she cannot be the mother it needs. But St. Elizabeth is near a healing spring, and when Rose's time draws near, she realises that she cannot go through with her plans.

It is also clear that Rose cannot remain untouched by what she has left behind: by the ever-watchful Sister Evangeline; by the love of Son, the handyman at St. Elizabeth; or later by the birth of her daughter Cecilia.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett is praised for its fairy tale-like quality and delightfulness, according to the New York Times Book Review. The Boston Herald highlights its beautiful writing, noting the novel's enviable grace, insight, and compassion, despite being a debut. Patchett is recognised for her uniqueness and wisdom as a writer by the New York Times.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781841150505

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 April 2003

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

Collections

Ann Patchett Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction

About the Author

Ann Patchett is originally from Los Angeles and is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of two earlier novels, The Patron Saint of Liars and Taft. She lives in Nashville and is the Tennessee Williams Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of the South

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