What the community thinks
summary of 436 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
Graphic
Homophobia (2 reviewers), Self harm (2 reviewers), Hate crime (1 reviewer), Mental illness (1 reviewer), Sexual content (1 reviewer), Sexual violence (1 reviewer), and Grief (1 reviewer)Moderate
Miscarriage (3 reviewers), Child abuse (2 reviewers), Emotional abuse (2 reviewers), Mental illness (2 reviewers), Racism (2 reviewers), Rape (2 reviewers), Self harm (2 reviewers), Suicide (2 reviewers), Domestic abuse (1 reviewer), Incest (1 reviewer), Panic attacks/disorders (1 reviewer), Pedophilia (1 reviewer), Sexual assault (1 reviewer), Sexual content (1 reviewer), Sexual violence (1 reviewer), and Suicidal thoughts (1 reviewer)Minor
Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Drug use (1 reviewer), Homophobia (1 reviewer), Physical abuse (1 reviewer), and Transphobia (1 reviewer)Moods
sad 65%
reflective 57%
challenging 39%
inspiring 28%
hopeful 23%
dark 18%
adventurous 10%
funny 10%
tense 10%
informative 5%
relaxing 5%
Pace
slow 30%
fast 2%
Strong character development?
Yes: 88% | It's complicated: 8% | No: 2%Loveable characters?
Yes: 47% | It's complicated: 44% | No: 8%Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 97% | It's complicated: 2%Flaws of characters centre-stage?
Yes: 97% | It's complicated: 2%Average rating
Buy Patsy
United States
Bookshop US
Other countries
Bookshop UK
Blackwell's
The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made.
Beating with the pulse of a long-witheld confession, Patsy gives voice to a woman who looks to America for the opportunity to choose herself first―not to give a better life to her family back home. Patsy leaves Tru behind in a defiant act of self-preservation, hoping for a new start where she can be, and love, whomever she wants. But when Patsy arrives in Brooklyn, America is not as Cicely’s treasured letters described; to survive as an undocumented immigrant, she is forced to work as a bathroom attendant and nanny. Meanwhile, Tru builds a faltering relationship with her father back in Jamaica, grappling with her own questions of identity and sexuality, and trying desperately to empathize with her mother’s decision.
Expertly evoking the jittery streets of New York and the languid rhythms of Jamaica, Patsy weaves between the lives of Patsy and Tru in vignettes spanning more than a decade as mother and daughter ultimately find a way back to one another.
Buy Patsy
United States
Bookshop US
Other countries
Bookshop UK
Blackwell's
The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made.
Beating with the pulse of a long-witheld confession, Patsy gives voice to a woman who looks to America for the opportunity to choose herself first―not to give a better life to her family back home. Patsy leaves Tru behind in a defiant act of self-preservation, hoping for a new start where she can be, and love, whomever she wants. But when Patsy arrives in Brooklyn, America is not as Cicely’s treasured letters described; to survive as an undocumented immigrant, she is forced to work as a bathroom attendant and nanny. Meanwhile, Tru builds a faltering relationship with her father back in Jamaica, grappling with her own questions of identity and sexuality, and trying desperately to empathize with her mother’s decision.
Expertly evoking the jittery streets of New York and the languid rhythms of Jamaica, Patsy weaves between the lives of Patsy and Tru in vignettes spanning more than a decade as mother and daughter ultimately find a way back to one another.
What the community thinks
summary of 436 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
Graphic
Homophobia (2 reviewers), Self harm (2 reviewers), Hate crime (1 reviewer), Mental illness (1 reviewer), Sexual content (1 reviewer), Sexual violence (1 reviewer), and Grief (1 reviewer)Moderate
Miscarriage (3 reviewers), Child abuse (2 reviewers), Emotional abuse (2 reviewers), Mental illness (2 reviewers), Racism (2 reviewers), Rape (2 reviewers), Self harm (2 reviewers), Suicide (2 reviewers), Domestic abuse (1 reviewer), Incest (1 reviewer), Panic attacks/disorders (1 reviewer), Pedophilia (1 reviewer), Sexual assault (1 reviewer), Sexual content (1 reviewer), Sexual violence (1 reviewer), and Suicidal thoughts (1 reviewer)Minor
Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Drug use (1 reviewer), Homophobia (1 reviewer), Physical abuse (1 reviewer), and Transphobia (1 reviewer)Moods
sad 65%
reflective 57%
challenging 39%
inspiring 28%
hopeful 23%
dark 18%
adventurous 10%
funny 10%
tense 10%
informative 5%
relaxing 5%
Pace
slow 30%
fast 2%
Strong character development?
Yes: 88% | It's complicated: 8% | No: 2%Loveable characters?
Yes: 47% | It's complicated: 44% | No: 8%Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 97% | It's complicated: 2%Flaws of characters centre-stage?
Yes: 97% | It's complicated: 2%Average rating