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Patricia

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Patricia Prentiss had nowhere to turn. John Worth had always been her friend and protected her from the advances of rich, spoiled Thornton Bellingham. But John has disappeared and she's being forced into a marriage with a man she can hardly stand. Then Thornton arranges a gala party, setting the stage for forcing Patricia to agree to the wedding and announce their engagement. Will John make it in time to save Patricia from her undesirable fate once more?

262 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

42 people are currently reading
215 people want to read

About the author

Grace Livingston Hill

591 books569 followers
also wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz

A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.

niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden

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5 stars
256 (52%)
4 stars
117 (23%)
3 stars
90 (18%)
2 stars
21 (4%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Majenta.
335 reviews1,246 followers
October 10, 2016
Thornton Bellingham. John Worth. Hmm, which is the hero and which is most definitely not?

Obvious to the reader it may become quite early, but the problem is that it's not so obvious to Amelia Prentiss, the mother of our main character, Miss Patricia Prentiss. She encourages--she FORCES--Patricia to spend time with the son of her best friend, even when she insists that she doesn't want to and tries to explain why not. Mrs. Prentiss believes that no son of a friend of HERS could ever be objectionable. Patricia believes otherwise.

As for the very nice fellow Patricia does like, can you believe why he is unacceptable to Mrs. Prentiss? Can you BELIEVE this woman?! And so far the mother in Grace Livingston Hill's BEAUTY FOR ASHES is just as shallow! Fortunately, both Mr. Prentiss and BEAUTY's heroine's father stand by their daughters and try to offer a balanced viewpoint. (Update: I've finished BEAUTY now and hopefully I'll have a review soon.)

But what of Patricia and Messrs. Worth and Bellingham? Does she finally just start running into the arms of a third young man, even a total stranger who could be anyone and anything from anywhere, out of total desperation and mental/emotional exhaustion? Can she be forced to marry the man of her MOTHER's choice? I hope you'll enjoy getting to know PATRICIA.

Thanks for reading.
Profile Image for Kailey (Luminous Libro).
3,586 reviews546 followers
January 17, 2025
Patricia grows up admiring a boy at her school, John Worth. He is kind and patient and serious. She meets his family and realizes that he comes from a devoutly Christian home and that is the source of his goodness and strength. She begins to search for God as well, and studies the Bible.
Patricia's mother only cares about social engagements with rich people, and tries to encourage Patricia into a courtship with their neighbor Thorny, a wealthy socialite with a drunken temper. Patricia prays that God will help her to find her path in life between what she truly values and what her mother pressures her to do.

This is my favorite of this author's books. The story has real depth to it as Patricia strives to make something of her life. I love the sweet romance between Patricia and John. They have so few moments together, but those times are full of meaning and mutual admiration and respect.

Patricia is an adorable character. She craves a simple and peaceful life, but her mother has other plans, so Patricia must learn to be patient and long-suffering.
John Worth is an absolutely wonderful hero! He's protective and generous and kind to everyone. I love how he is described as having lights in his eyes that light up when he is happy. That light of the Holy Spirit inside him just spills out, shining on everyone he meets.
Author 1 book5 followers
August 30, 2013
I read a lot of Grace Livingston Hill when I was young but this book among all of her works is my favourite. As a young girl, it gave me a healthy impression of what it was to learn how to be a good person. It values hard work, genuine friendship, humility, and deals with what to do when the person you want to be and the person your friends/family want you to be are not the same person.

There are individual hypocrites and organized religious hypocrisy cast as villains in the book which is another thing that I very much appreciate. Who hasn't run into some of that? This is a great book for anyone who has been unfairly shamed due to religion or taken advantage of because they earnestly wanted to be good but didn't know what that meant. It's not enough to want others to think you are a good person, in fact being your best self might bring you to make decisions that others find disreputable because their standards of "goodness" are dramatically different. It is more than a romance. It charts the journey of a woman who grows out of her "me-ness" and into concern for others, at first without even noticing the change. Patricia goes out in the world. She finds herself. She forms friendships. She learns to think and how to evaluate the value of things and ideas. I can't find anything not to like here.

The romantic interest is actually loving and he is from a loving family which is nice. It's not about redeeming a wounded man through the virtues of womanhood. And the friendship between the two struck me as a mirror of how these things can happen in real life - the child-attachment turned into genuine connection.

In short, it's a lovely story. I'd give it to any of my children without a second thought but it's not really for children so much as it is for anyone who moves past childhood and into owning their own identity and then learns to balance that with marriage/romance/love.

Also I am totally outing myself as a GLH fan. Haters gonna hate, amirite?
Profile Image for Katt Hansen.
3,856 reviews109 followers
October 26, 2023
What an odd story, told almost entirely in flashback. We start the story at the ending, with the arrival of a young man at a mansion, where he is out of place. The atmosphere is worldly, and so seems the young lady he's come to visit.

Then we wander back in time and find the sweet Patricia who I'm predisposed to not like because she doesn't seem worthy of the young man who came to call early in the book (John Worth...the NAMES in this one!)

But I do wind up liking her, but I keep waiting - waiting for her to fall into that worldly vision we saw earlier. I keep waiting for her to let me down.

Of course Grace saves us all, and writes us a romance that ends in a right and beautiful manner. I know I tend to give five stars to these books, but I can't this time around - I really didn't like the flashback technique. But I do love John and yes, even Patricia. It's a long story, but never tedious or dull. And definitely one still worth reading.

Edit to add: Reading this again years later, I think I like it a little better now. Still not fond of the flashback technique, but I think I'm more inclined to love Patricia. It's funny how our perceptions change as we age, isn't it?
Profile Image for Dianna.
1,955 reviews43 followers
May 25, 2017
Patricia grew up a privileged girl, in a well-to-do family. Her mother is a clueless social climber and only wants Patricia to associate with exclusive, upper-class sorts. Her father is more democratic and insists that she be sent to public school—but that's the only battle he ever wins; he values peace too much to make a stand most of the time.

I found this setup and family dynamic the most interesting thing about the book. The rest of it goes like this: So will Patricia be forced to marry the rich brat, or will she end up with the boy from school she's only talked to a handful of times? If you've read any of Grace Livingston Hill's other books, you already know the answer.

I can't say I loved this book; I like a bit more plot beyond just a boy and girl getting together. Patricia did grow up during the course of this book, and I typically like bildungsromans, but this one felt kind of linear and forced: Patricia finishes primary school. Patricia goes to high school. Patricia goes to college. Patricia gets married. The end. But there's just something about GLH that keeps me reading, and I was able to get through this one without too much trouble.
Profile Image for Sarah E..
Author 1 book10 followers
February 7, 2018
One of my favorite books! Grace Livingston Hill writes sweet stories of romance and an individual's journey to God and how Christ helps them overcome struggles. I usually read this once a year just for nostalgia. It is part of collection my grandmother owned and we both loved it. I even referenced in my own novel, Spring till September.
Profile Image for Kathryn.
892 reviews23 followers
February 27, 2019
February 2019 re-read. Still holds up as one of my favorite GLH reads. Love all the spiritual development and sweet romance.

First read in 2005: My favorite Grace Livingston Hill novel :) I thought it was incredibly romantic when I was a teenager.
Profile Image for Sarah.
25 reviews
June 29, 2011
This is one of my favorites by this auther. She can frequently get carried away with words or preaching but this one had just a beautiful story.
Profile Image for Terri.
8 reviews1 follower
August 25, 2015
Love this book...

As a very young teenager this was one of the first romance books I read, I was thrilled when I found out I could purchase it on my kindle...
67 reviews
July 15, 2017
Bravo, Grace Livingston Hill! The story of Patricia Prentiss, and what an interesting story! My first experience with this author, and I look forward to reading more books by her!
Profile Image for Lady Tea.
1,801 reviews126 followers
November 1, 2020
Rating: 4.5 / 5

Yet another perfectly pleasant read by Grace Livingston Hill, Patricia seems like a fairy tale in and of itself.

Starting off at the climax of the story and then reverting back in time to describe all of the events in Patricia's life that led up to that moment, the format of the story is not what I would usually like. Call me simple, but I've always preferred a linear timeline in my books, none of this "something big's about to happen but then let's go back several days/years ago to explain why it's a big deal before finishing it off" sort of thing. That's a usual big no-no for me, except that this time it fits and Hill really made it work. It's not an in your face sort of time skip, but makes sense to have it be the way it is. And Patricia's life story, for what it is, is perfectly charming in taking us through the stages of her developing faith and love.

The ending, unfortunately, was rather abrupt for me and I really would have wished more attention be given to her and John's romance, but all in all it was carried off well and quite a satisfying ending to go by. Also, this specific cover is probably among one of my favourites from Hill's works, as it captures a moment in time just perfectly for how the romance of these characters should be viewed. (I confess, it was the cover more than the plot that encouraged me to purchase this one.)

Yet another lovely addition to my shelf of increasing Grace Livingston Hill works. (Here's hoping to have ALL of them someday.)
114 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2024
A little too long and meandering. And the main characters are, of course, nearly perfect with only minor character flaws. Hard to connect with that.

Quotes I liked:
These were not morbid thoughts. To her, going to heaven was something beautiful to anticipate. Something sure in her dim, uncertain future, something that could never be a disappointment.

But yet, suppose this was God's plan for her life and she was trying to frustrate it? And suppose that by and by after it was too late to right things she would sometime understand that and have to suffer all the rest of her life for what she had passed by in her vague uncertainty? Would God let her do a thing like that? "Oh, God, I'm yours. Won't you please make haste and help me to know what to do. Make me certain! Don't let me go frightened into this!" That was what her heart was crying out as she turned away from the telephone.
Profile Image for Heather.
623 reviews
July 24, 2016
According to this GLH, home should be the antechamber of heaven, which seems to be setting the bar exhaustingly high. I have trouble just getting the dishes done.

The bete noire in Patricia is private schools which teach girls to be snobs and boys to be sissies. Public schools, by contrast, breed virtue and strength of character. Brian's new theory is that GLH voted for William Jennings Byran. I don't know about that, but she definitely buys into the romance of the working man. Boot straps and all that.

I also think it's funny because in British novels of the same period, American characters are always written as starting their sentences with "Why". "Why, sure thing ma'am." "Why, I guess that'd be OK." And so on. Then I noticed that all of GLH's heroines start their sentences with "Why." "Why, of course I'm a Christian." "Why, I'd be happy to come over and take care of your invalid mother." Etc. I now have this strange image of PG Wodehouse reading GLH to find out how Americans talk.

The really crazy thing is that I picked this one up in a used bookstore because the cover caused this sudden flashback. It's one of the 70s editions and I had this perfect memory of my mother having this one on her nightstand with a bookmark in it and this weird half memory of her saying it was one of her favorites. But I'm not sure if they're real memories at all.
Profile Image for Sarah Cearley.
12 reviews2 followers
Read
May 31, 2011
Grace Livingston Hill is my guilty pleasure...total escape-ism...
Profile Image for Amber.
1,717 reviews43 followers
July 2, 2018
this story is a ridiculous bit of fluff and I love every bit of it
Profile Image for Anna Marie.
1,399 reviews2 followers
May 16, 2024
Five stars. I don't give out five stars.

But this book was SO. MY. MOTHER when I was growing up. I had to hide so much, and pray SOOOO much for deliverance from her demands on what I wore, how I did my hair, who I spent time with, what I could and could not attend... it was a horrific life, and these mothers *DO* exist.

(Except we didn't have money, and my own mother was just a psychotic megalomaniac.)

But Patricia handles it as I did - she looks for something MORE, something OTHER than her experience. She is lucky - she has a father she can turn to, throughout the whole of the book. But MERCY, why didn't that man divorce the harpy and take his child to live in peace?!?!?! I had no father - I had a stepdad who was so whipped by my mother that he would NEVER cross her to come to my rescue. At least Patricia has her father.

John is there. From the time that she's six, through middle school, into high school... he's always just off in the distance, but so admirable, so what she desperately wants/needs in her life. He's her ideal, and his faith and life sing out to her throughout all of her troubles. It's sad that life makes it so that we're afraid or overrun and don't go see the older people we always meant/wanted to. That we lose the most precious things before we're ready to.

That we're hounded by Thornys and demanding mothers who claim to love us, but have NO IDEA what those words even mean. And they are tenacious.

The names in this are perfect, too. Patricia - regal bearing. John Worth - the worthier thing in her life. Thorny - the burr that clings and pokes and makes her miserable.

The whole thing was just perfect. And when he comes... it's like the final puzzle piece is in place, and everything can happen as it should.
Profile Image for Anna Jackson.
404 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2022
I think this book needs a subtitle- Patricia: or The Story of the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Mother

Basically this entire book was a flashback of Patricia's childhood and the numerous accounts of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of a neighborhood bully. Abuse which she tells her mother about in detail, but which her mother either completely disregards or does not believe because the bully is none other than her best friend's son. (Although a case could probably be made that the mother is also an emotional abuser herself- definitely a manipulator. )

Patricia is so brainwashed by the end of the novel that she almost marries her abuser, but is saved in the nick of time by an out of left field proposal from an old classmate whom she spoke to twice and who apparently was in love with her. She marries him immediately (and by immediately, I literally mean like 45 minutes later) and runs away from her mother to Europe with her new husband.

Overall I don't recommend this book. It honestly wasn't GLH's worst, but it definitely had Phoebe Deane vibes going like crazy. I didn't like the way Patricia seemed to just acquiesce to her mother's demands at the end or how she seemed to become more of a floor mat after she became a Christian. I will not be rereading this nor will I recommend it, but if you have to choose between this one and Dawn of the Morning- choose this one. 1.45 stars.
Profile Image for Ruth.
316 reviews18 followers
January 5, 2025
2.5 stars

I picked this up because on the back of the book it said a character was named Thereinto Belonging and I needed to know what that was about…his name was actually Thorny Bellingham and he was a jerk.

The mom was also one of the biggest jerks ever and if I was the dad, I would have kicked her to the street already.

It also took place over so many more years than I expected and yet the two main characters had maybe three moments together before the end?

I’m not sure that much happened in here except the girl being bullied by her mom and Thorny for 200 pages and her dad not being man enough to tell his wife that she’s a monster.

I said what I said.
Profile Image for Kristi.
228 reviews4 followers
June 23, 2021
GLH books were the only novels pre-approved by my mother in my youth 😄 She LOVED them and automatically approved of her daughters bringing any of them into the house.
While the story isn't half bad, it is predictable. The bad are very bad and the good are very good. The bad lives only to deceive (with no other motive apparently in sight) and the good righteously trod forward doing right and ultimately winning. Simple in plot and it maybe it's my nostalgia talking,but it honestly wasn't half bad.
Profile Image for Ann Whitaker.
49 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2020
Another great book

Patricia’s mother is has her sights set on her “best friend’s son” as a future husband for her young daughter? Pat is wise beyond her years is drawn in love to 2 loves. Her Greatest Love and a boy that she barely knows yet, he captured her heart and mind the first time that she saw her.
Profile Image for Angela Robinson.
4 reviews
August 23, 2025
This story is quite deep. It has a sweet romance and Patricia is an adorable character.
John Worth is a great mmc: protective, kind and generous. I love how he is described as having lights in his eyes that light up when he is happy. That light of the Holy Spirit inside him just spills out, shining on everyone he meets.
Profile Image for Dorry Lou.
870 reviews
August 19, 2025
I read some of her books years ago. It was a treat to read this one about a rich girl and rich boy. The boy tried everything he could to get her to like & later love him. He was obnoxious, still her mother wanted them to marry. Thankfully someone else came in the picture.
Profile Image for Amy.
Author 3 books96 followers
Read
January 3, 2022
W O W
Look for me talking about this on the next season of the Prophetic Imagination Station
870 reviews
December 24, 2022
Patricia Prentiss had known and admired John Worth ever since she was a young girl, but it took her many years to realize that he was the one she wanted to spend her life with.
Profile Image for Gwen Hopkins.
227 reviews
Read
May 30, 2023
A very enchanting story.

I liked the unpredictability of the mother as she consistently tried to be in the know and on top of everything. She always was the last to know.
Profile Image for Patricia Hutcheson.
10 reviews
June 5, 2023
Love

Gods enduring love!!! True God founded love!!!!This story brought out why those who wait....Gods purpose and plan. Worthy of great read!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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