Rating: 
Summary: sherylval@aol.com
Review: I really enjoyed this book while I was reading it. The writing was excellent...however, one critical review I read called this a story of healing and redemption. Anything but, in my opinion. I Saw Rose as a character who simply ran away from her problems, and the fact that she does it again - evidently no personal insight gained over those 15 years. The end of this book left me feeling very sad for all the characters - for that reason - I don't know if I would recommend it, except that it would be great to chat about in book clubs.
Rating:
Summary: entertaining
Review: I really liked the book but wished the ending would have been different.
Rating: 
Summary: nothing here
Review: Only being captive on a long Amtrak ride made me finish this book. The main character isn't mysterious, as some have said, only implausible, dull and completely unsympathetic. Her departure from her husband at the beginning of her pregnancy seems to be more about a love of driving long distances at random than an escape from anything the reader can understand. Her deciding to take refuge in a home for unwed mothers made me more than annoyed--angry. The author makes a mockery of women (usually young girls) who, in pre-choice days were forced into such hideaways. This author writes some pretty prose--too much of it in fact. That's unfortunate for readers, because it hides the nothing she has to say.
Rating:
Summary: Stupid and Corny
Review: Rose, the protagonist of "The Patron Saint of Liars" seems to have an answer for all of life's problems and it always seems to be the same...running away. Rose seems to think that out of sight is definitely out of mind. When we meet Rose, she is a very confused, Catholic woman who realizes after some years of marriage (and despite the fact that she's pregnant), that she simply doesn't love her husband anymore. Perhaps she never did. Rather than getting help from her local priest or even a marriage counselor and, even short of confiding in her husband (about her lack of love for him or her pregnancy), Rose does what Rose does best...she simply leaves. With no destination in mind and no money (Rose's preferred method of travel), Rose ends up in a home for unwed mothers in Kentucky. She lies to the nuns about her family and eventually meets Son, the handsome, charismatic handyman at the home. All the pregnant girls are in love with Son, but of course, it is Rose who ends up snaring him...and marrying him. The fact that Rose already has a husband is simply glossed over. This is a woman who doesn't want to be bothered with details. Fifteen years later, Son is a good father to Cecilia, the daughter that isn't really his...at least in a biological sense. Whether Rose is a good (second) wife and mother, is a more subjection question. Rose and Son have inherited the mansion belonging to the founder of the home and while both Son and Cecilia are happy to live there, Rose chooses instead to live in Son's small cabin. It seems, for reasons not made completely clear, that this woman simply can't bear life in a mansion with her gorgeous husband and daughter. Strange? Maybe for you and I, but definitely not for our Rose. She seems to feel a compulsion to do everything more than just a bit off-key. Complications arise when Rose receives a letter from her first, and real, husband. It won't take a very astute reader to guess what Rose does next and it gives nothing of the plot away to say that yes, she does. She leaves. This is a very forgiving book, however, and it ends on a very cliched note...with a miracle. A hot spring that had been dormant since the 1930s begins to bubble and flow. And all due to Rose, no doubt! To say that this book has unlikable characters is putting it mildly. Rose is the most selfish and self-centered character I've encountered in a long time, in fiction or in real life. Her propensity for running away was as tiresome as a child's temper tantrum and when she finally did decide to face something she, herself, had created, her motivation for doing so was vague and cliched. She's the type of woman anyone with any sense would just love to slap across the face while telling her to grow up and count her blessings! Son was just as bad. He was a nice person, but he may have been a little "too nice." The fact that he took all of Rose's stupid antics without much complaint at all was beyond belief and made me actively dislike him. Cecilia was a brat, but here, at least, we could understand why. There really wasn't much substance to this book. I can't for the life of me understand why it was even published, let alone made into a television play. I've seen the television play and for those of you who are wondering, no, the book isn't more fleshed-out. It's every bit as bad. There are more good books in this world than any one of us will ever be able to read. This isn't one of them. Do yourself a favor and skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring exploration of mother/daughter relationships
Review: Setting...a metaphor for the gift of birth, rebirth, love...Rose is an unforgettable literary character. Her choices make sense to her but she causes so much pain and fall-out. Overall, this novel is a masterpiece. I will reread and listen to audiotape. Much to learn about the journey of human experience. A model for a study of archetypes. Patchett equals Anne Tyler.
Rating:
Summary: A sensitive, moving story
Review: The Patron of Saints is a book chosen for our monthly book club meeting. I had never heard of the author before so knew not what to expect. The story is written with much feeling. I loved the style of the book. Breaking the story up into three sections, Rose, Son and Cecilia, gave the reader an insight into each character. I loved the story - it brought out many emotions while reading it. I was angry at Rose, sad that she was the way she was - loved the character of Son - he was such a good man - and sad for the daughter who could not feel the love of her mother. I also kept thinking of the husband Rose left behind and the fact that he would never know his child and the mother Rose loved so deeply but betrayed so completely because she left her. As a mother myself I couldn't help but feel the pain that Rose brought to everyone in her life. This is a really good read. I look forward to reading the other books this author has written. I know this will definitely be a great book to discuss at our book club meeting. I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Regrettable Rose
Review: The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett is well written, but not exactly exciting. The story line was inventive and seemed to have a lot going for it, but I kept expecting something to happen that would somehow complete it. Nonetheless, each of the characters in the novel, especially the ones who had a narrating section, was very well developed.
I think that the author had a way of connecting herself with each of the characters so that they seemed real. Even the characters that had relatively minor roles were very tangible, like someone that every reader would have met at some point in their life. The main character, Rose, however, somehow made the novel feel incomplete because of her emptiness as a person. The fact that she was such a secretive character, even up until the end, left me feeling unsatisfied. Her personality is sympathetic yet despicable at the same time. Overall, I feel that the novel was passable, granted that it was Patchett's first novel. I would recommend this book for a light read, but not if you want to get something lasting out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Regrettable Rose
Review: The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett is well written, but not exactly exciting. The story line was inventive and seemed to have a lot going for it, but I kept expecting something to happen that would somehow complete it. Nonetheless, each of the characters in the novel, especially the ones who had a narrating section, was very well developed.
I think that the author had a way of connecting herself with each of the characters so that they seemed real. Even the characters that had relatively minor roles were very tangible, like someone that every reader would have met at some point in their life. The main character, Rose, however, somehow made the novel feel incomplete because of her emptiness as a person. The fact that she was such a secretive character, even up until the end, left me feeling unsatisfied. Her personality is sympathetic yet despicable at the same time. Overall, I feel that the novel was passable, granted that it was Patchett's first novel. I would recommend this book for a light read, but not if you want to get something lasting out of it.
Rating:
Summary: a masterpiece
Review: the patron saint of liars is an enchanting book, magical and seductive, it unfolds in the reader's hands. the story is of rose, a woman who finds herself at st. elizabeth, a home for unmarried pregnant women. from there, she is on a process of healing and discovering herself. when she realizes that she can not go through with the routine of having her baby and leaving the next day, rose is forced to make important choices which reflect her mysterious nature and intense beauty. the writing is as appealling as the plot - sensual, tactile, and seductive, patchett wins the reader over immediately. this book is intense, beautiful, and graceful
Rating:
Summary: A pretty package with not a whole lot inside.
Review: The Patron Saint of Liars tries mightily to engage the reader with questions of faith, fidelity and human longing. Unfortunately, the insights into these things are at best standard, and at worst, facile or dull. Patchett writes well, (her prose rarely thuds), but she writes too much, thinking that a sea of sensory detail is enough to provide enlightenment, when what the reader craves is some honest insight. For a book that is supposed to be about our deepest humanity, it leaves one feeling oddly cold. It is apparent that Patchett's mind and eyes are sharp; it is her heart that needs work
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