Patience and Sarah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 paperback edition cover |
|
| Author | Isabel Miller |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | MaryAnn Willson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Lesbian Historical novel |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
| Released | 1969 (Under the title "A Place For Us") |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0449210073 |
Patience and Sarah is a 1969 historical fiction lesbian novel written by Isabel Miller. It was originally published under the title A Place For Us and changed to Patience and Sarah in 1971. It is fiction based on a real-life painter named Mary Ann Willson who lived with her companion in the early 19th century in Greene County, New York.
It tells the story of two women in Connecticut in 1816 who fall in love and decide to leave their homes to buy a farm in another state or territory and live together. The story deals with the limited opportunities and roles of women in early America, gender expression, and the interpretation of religion in everyday life.
[edit] Plot summary
The story is told in switching first person narratives between Patience and Sarah. The first part is told by Patience White, a woman of considerable means compared to others in her town. Her father died and left her enough money that she wouldn't have to marry to be cared for. She lives with her brother and his wife and children, in a room she has to herself, something her sister-in-law Martha considers an unnatural privilege. Patience paints Biblical scenes as a pasttime, and helps Martha with the children sometimes. They don't get along well.
Patience has known of Sarah Dowling for a while since Sarah is a scandalous character to some, wearing pants and doing men's work. Sarah has a family of sisters and her father trained her to do men's work since he had no sons. Intrigued one day when Sarah delivers firewood to the White household, and to flout Martha, Patience invites Sarah into her part of the house and socializes with her. Sarah divulges that she plans to set out by herself and go west and buy her own farm. Not having the heart to tell her that she won't have the opportunity to do it, Patience indulges Sarah and tells her she wants to come along. In the midst of planning the trip west, Sarah admits she feels for Patience, and although too aware of the danger, Patience also admits her attraction for Sarah.
Sarah returns to her much poorer home, where she lives with her large family in a one-room cabin. She tells her sister Rachel about Patience and what they did, and Rachel, upset by being replaced to go west by Patience, tells their father who beats Sarah, then drags her to Patience's home to demand to know the nature of their relationship. Faced with having to admit their acts in front of witnesses, Patience denies she feels anything for Sarah and that it was all a game.
The narrative switches to Sarah's perspective, as she leaves west alone, healing from the beatings her father gave her (no harm meant, he says). Sarah cuts off all her hair, renames herself "Sam", takes an axe and walks west. After a few experiences that leave freedom a lot to be desired, Sam takes up with a traveling Parson who goes town to town selling books in a horse-drawn rig he sleeps in. He teaches Sam to defend himself against boys in towns, to cook, teaches him about the Bible and other cultures, but most importantly, teaches him to read. In time, Parson admits he's attracted to Sam and when he tries to seduce Sam, Sarah admits her true identity.
She was gone a year and heads home as Parson heads towards New York, his home. Patience arrives the next day to casually invite her to Sunday dinner. She goes, without beatings, and their relationship starts again after Patience admits she lost her courage. They carry on their relationship, Sarah visiting Patience on Sundays, sometimes bringing a sister or her mother, but when they are caught embracing with their bodices open by Martha, Patience's brother admits it's time for them to go.
They head to New York City with brother Edward's blessing. Sarah, not knowing how the finer points of being a lady, is accosted on the ship there. They lodge with a captain and in their first locked room alone, consummate their relationship. They meet up with the Parson again and decide that upstate New York in Greene County will be their destination, where land is cheap and they can live in peace.
They arrive in Greene County and they negotioate the purchase of a small farm, plant their crop and begin their life together.
[edit] Awards and nominations
- The novel won the Stonewall Book Award for 1971
