Patience and Sarah Audiobook By Isabel Miller cover art

Patience and Sarah

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Patience and Sarah

By: Isabel Miller
Narrated by: Jean Smart, Janis Ian
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Grammy Award Nominee, Best Spoken Word Album, 2016

Set in the 19th century, Isabel Miller's classic lesbian novel traces the relationship between Patience White, an educated painter, and Sarah Dowling, a farmer's daughter, whose romantic bond does not sit well with the puritanical New England community in which they live. They choose to live together and love each other freely, even though they know of no precedents for their relationship; they must trust their own instincts and see beyond the disdain of their neighbors.

Patience and Sarah is a meticulously researched historical novel, originally self-published by the author in 1969. This classic of GLBT literature garnered so much attention that the American Library Association created its first Stonewall Award specifically for it in 1971. Grammy Award-winning narrator Janis Ian and Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Jean Smart each perform as one of the characters in this dual-point-of-view love story. Their narration marks the first time that this beautiful work is available in audio and brings new life into this inspiring novel that is just as relevant today as it was decades ago.

In addition to being an inspiring love story, the audiobook for Patience and Sarah is an ideal listen for young-adult audiences. It is a story that shows how irrelevant race, religion, and gender are to love and that loving and being loved are what keep us human and sane.

©1969 Isabel Miller under the title "A Place for Us" (P)2014 Janis Ian Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction LGBTQIA+ Creators LGBTQIA+ Essentials Literary History & Criticism Literature & Fiction Feel-Good Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"The writing has the directness and whimsicality of primitive paintings - it is like spiked gingerbread or surprising samplers. The tone is sweetly bold. And the tale evokes many kinds of frontier at once." ( The Village Voice)
"The story of a painter and a farmer in 19th-century New England. One of the first lesbian novels with a happy ending and, in 1971, the first recipient of ALA's Stonewall Book Award." ( Library Journal)
"Janis Ian and Jean Smart bring exquisite joy, vulnerability, and honesty to their narration of Isabel Miller's 1969 historical fiction novel.... As the two women realize their feelings for each other, the narrators take on a tender tone and slow their pace, allowing their romantic epiphany to unfold. This makes for a touchingly intimate listening experience." ( AudioFile)

Featured Article: Audible Essentials—The Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Listens of All Time


While LGBTQIA+ creators have been around for millennia, it’s only recently that we’ve been hearing more diverse, more queer-authored, and more queer-performed stories about the entire spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experiences and identities. This list—just like the community it represents—is meant to be fluid. But most importantly, it’s meant to celebrate and reflect on the issues faced by LGBTQIA+ people everywhere.

Featured Article Audible Essentials The Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Listens of All Time
Beautiful Love Story • Well-written Characters • Historical Authenticity • Emotional Depth • Happy Ending
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The description made this seem like a story I should know to be well-rounded. I expected it to be a chore, like most classic literature for me, but it was a wonderful story and the narration was perfect.

Unexpected

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Loved it!
the narration of the characters were spot on
It was like I was right there

Patience and Sarah

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Read this years ago, and loved it, so when I saw it was narrated by Jean Smart and Janis Ian, I just had to try the audio version. These two wonderful artists did an outstanding job with the narration. Their performances made the book special. There are so many good lesbian books out there now, that Patience and Sarah is not as unique as it was then. But it's still good and worth a read/listen. Well written alternative take on the American pioneering story, with two strong & interesting heroines. It has the lesbian feminist political sensibility prevalent in groundbreaking lesbian fiction of the time, which at times irritated me a little. But the point is that kind of activism was necessary then, or we wouldn't be where we are today. And it is at heart a beautiful historical love story. Glad I revisited it in this format.

Lesbian classic

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loved the story when I first read it some years back. this audible version brought so much depth of character, so much personality. I enjoyed it more than the book. so we'll done!

WONDERFUL!

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Had I been reading the book I probably would have stopped about a third of the way though. I finished it only because my phone was not able to download the next book I had requested. I thought it was slow, rather uneventful, and irritating at times.

Just OK

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Jean Smart captured Patience with breathtaking beauty. The little laugh she gave in amusement. The other voices as she told their stories. The warmth that is Patience shown with honesty.
Janis Ian, with her wonderful husky voice, was Sarah. Her downhome Yankee drawl made her tall and lanky and strong.
I have loved this book for decades. These two beautiful women brought it to life with love.

absolute perfection

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Two wonderful actors gave each woman grace, dignity and such deep and heartfelt emotions.
Love is love is love is love....
Thank you!

Beautifully written, beautifully read!

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This story reminds me to be boldly honest and unapologetic of love and truth. The pet names and delicate descriptions of intimacy seem entirely fitting for the story’s setting in time.

Jean Smart’s Patience is the work of undeniable craftsmanship and talent. In my opinion her recent acting roles and then this narration solidify my estimation that her talent and depth of skill have been flying under the radar for years — she is an actor of amazing depth, nuance,and ability.

Janis Ian as Sarah is a fabulous surprise — her voice and inflection and interpretation lend credence to the truth that good singer/songwriters are lyric storytellers.

Sweet, honest, inspiring

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What made the experience of listening to Patience and Sarah the most enjoyable?

Janis Ian and Jean Smart render their characters perfectly. Their diction is flawless, and the drama is not overdone. Janis Ian is so convincing that I could almost picture her as being 5'8". Best of all, the story has a happy ending.

Superbly Rendered Lesbian Classic

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Such a sweet and tender love story! These two women and their quest to be together and live during a time when the only thing a woman had to look forward to was marriage and children. Could not stop listening! Awesome performance.

Wonderful!

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