Saints and Sinners

by J.L. Harrison

Patience is desperate for change. But when you're a woman raised by The Saints - a fundamentalist and strict religious group - you can't just leave. Especially when your father is the bishop and hell bent on arranging a marriage for his only daughter. Now faced with a loveless marriage to someone in her congregation, Patience must decide her fate. Marry the man her father chooses, or run away leaving everything and everyone she knows behind to start a new life on her own. To further complicate things, a new missionary has arrived in her little congregation. One that she can't get out of her head... or her dreams.

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2023

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! I enjoyed this book thoroughly, chuckled many times throughout, and easily related to Patience and some of the struggles she faced. I can't wait for more from this author.

[David Lerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was delighted to find that the story carried me easily along through many areas not within my experience, which is to my mind, one of the hallmarks of a good storyteller. The writing never seems forced or faulty, it flows along like our local James river. The reader floats alongside Patience as she navigates the rocky shoals, the deadening eddies, the shallows and the rapids; all the obstacles present in any life, in a thoughtful and accessible voice. Her frustrations are our frustrations, and as she is carried along at times through places that seems out of control, we empathize and paddle alongside her. When she finds solace, we relax and let our guard down with her, though perhaps a part of the mind is always wondering what will come next, for her trevails ring true.
The adventure she's on takes a few surprising turns, as life does, and the book's span is long enough that the character's development is realistic and unsurprising - it feels natural and true.
A highly enjoyable read from a local author that I would recommend others try.