The Patron Saint of
Liars, Ann Patchett’s first novel, is an accomplished debut. It
is written in three sections — the first featuring Rose, the liar of
the title, and the second her husband and the third her daughter.
Rose came of age as a Catholic in the 1960s. She thinks God showed her
a sign to marry a man she doesn’t love. Later realizing her mistake but
discovering she’s pregnant, she takes off, leaving a note to not look
for her. Rose’s destination, in Kentucky, is St. Elizabeth’s, a
Catholic home for unwed young pregnant women where Rose won’t disclose
she has a husband. She plans to stay at St. Elizabeth’s until she
delivers and gives up her baby. The only male on the property, a
40something maintenance man named Son, falls for Rose, so when she
decides to keep her baby and stay at St. Elizabeth’s as the cook, she
agrees to marry him. Son isn’t told that Rose is already married.
Son’s back story, revealed in the middle section, is poignant, as is
the story of Cecelia, Rose's daughter, in part three. Son adores
Cecilia, who thinks he is her biological father, but Rose is a detached
mother. She is an enigma to Cecilia, who yearns to relate to Rose and
learn about her past.
Rose isn’t a particularly likable character, and it’s left to the
reader to try to figure her out. Was her religion the reason she chose
flight over divorce? How could she never see her beloved mother again?
Why did she keep her baby after all? Why did she seem to care for old
Sister Evangeline more than her daughter? A discussion about the
mysterious Rose has likely absorbed many a book group.
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