There was a lot of different stories woven together in this one and it could be a little overwhelming. A lot of names/characters were thrown at the start and it switched around between their stories in a way that distracted me from becoming attached to any of the characters. I liked the ideas behind the stories of the characters, just not the cluttered way they were presented.

A unique and touching story. Interwoven lives of people in a small town around a home for young pregnant girls. Beautiful visuals and memorable characters all with strength through suffering.

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are purely my own and not influenced in any way.--

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting with this book, but I do know that this wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I read the synopsis.

I'm an avid historical fiction fan, so I did like some of the settings of late nineteenth century Germany, and I actually liked the exploration into how grief can make you believe what you want to believe only for reality to come crashing down. That said, that's not really enough to build a book on, so we apparently had to add in all sorts of characters and a randomly switching narrative (seriously, most of it's in third person, but one perspective is in first person). There's nothing that denotes a new perspective, so some of the switches can be rather jarring. There are FAR to many character perspectives in this, and many of which add NOTHING to the plot (the Old Women? Added nothing. The many people in the house for pregnant women? Keep one or two, but it becomes kind of stale when everyone is saying and experiencing the same thing), but instead bog down an already bloated story. There's simultaneously too much happening (circus, house for pregnant girls, and the grown subplot) and nothing happening. For so much going on, I was amazed at how bored I was reading this, maybe because the many alternating point of views made it difficult to connect with anyone since you never really KNEW anyone. I feel like this would've been better as a series of short stories rather than a constantly wandering narrative.

For what it's worth, I don't necessarily think the ideas presented were bad, but I find that presenting them all at once makes for a cluttered and confusing read.

The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls by Ursula Hegi is a very deep and philosophical novel that makes one think about life in the 1800s and the dilemmas faced in that era. Of course there is the Home for Pregnant Girls that dominants the plot line but there is also an interwoven plot involving infidelity, loss, circus life and a family that loses three of their four children because of a rising tide! All of this is touched upon in this story, For someone who is interested in a challenging and multi themed novel thiis the book for you.

I had great difficulty with this book. I have read the authors previous books and never had a problem with the language. I am not sure what caused my problem but when I I analyzed it I think it was the translation. It was awkward and did not flow. I found it disturbed the narrative and I could not finish the book because of it. Sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book!

I found this book to be oddly scattered. I would get into the story, and then the point of view and voice would change. One second it would be 3rd person, and then it would be 1st person. It threw me out of the narrative every time.

What this book boils down to is the intersection of 3 women's lives: Lotte, Tilli and Sabine. However, I never felt like there was a real focus, and new characters popped up constantly. It just never felt cohesive to me.

The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls by Ursula Hegi is a historical fiction piece that has many elements added: folklore, fantasy, history.
The elements fuse into a novel that is rich in imagery, emotion, and invokes a response from deep within.

I enjoyed this book immensely as it was slightly out of my normal genre, however it was totally worth the experience. I was not sure where this book would initially take me, but as it progressed, the plot quickened and I quickly became immersed. The ending was quite satisfying and impressive.

Definitely a great read.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am submitting this review to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Bookbub, and B&N accounts immediately.

A unique book that wasn’t quite what I expected. I enjoyed the folklore and the story itself. Although I felt that there were too many characters that I couldn’t really relate, and become attached to any of them. It was a quick read, and different than my typical genre of books. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

I did not care for this book at all. It was not to my taste at all and I couldn't get into the book because of how dull it was and wasn't worth reading.

This is written by an experienced, talented author, and that shines through. She writes great characters experiencing great drama, and includes good dialog to go with it. Recommended for literature fans.

I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!

I read Stones from the River many years ago, so when I had the chance to read this one, before release, I jumped at the chance! Hegi has a way of making the extraordinary seem more ordinary and vice versa, with characters that are unique. This has a varied cast of characters: a family who loses three children, and how they react to the terrible tragedy; a disparate group of compassionate nuns living in an abandoned mansion they have restored, along with the various pregnant girls they take in; the traveling circus group and all of their idiosyncrasies and problems in their lives; the town people who vie to be crowned the oldest person; to the interactions among all of these people.
I knew it wouldn't be an ordinary novel, and it wasn't! Some of the people with the worst problems grasp and embellish on a local myth for self-soothing, to the point of true belief with possible dangerous consequences. I was almost holding my breath towards the end! I do like endings that don't leave you wondering what happened, but it did seem like it was finished very quickly at the end. I could have used a little more wrap up, but I did enjoy it! Thank you to Ursula Hegi, Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC.