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A review by lezreadalot
Patience & Sarah by Isabel Miller
4.0
Oh, we were begun. There would be no way out except through.
One of those books that's enjoyable just as much for the writing as it is for what is written. This one needs no introduction; a classic historical tale of two women daring to find a place for themselves. It was one of the first f/f novels with a happy ending. There's so much poetry here, so much loveliness in the writing, so many meaningful ruminations on love, on loving women, on freedom, on independence, on living in a patriarchal world. It was just really lovely, very naked in its passions. It wasn't overly fairytale-esque, and I loved that it saw them through big rough spots and little rough spots, showing all the work it takes to make a relationship work, but also showing how effortless and sweet love can be. I did think it got a tad bit too slow, or that might just be me; my interest flagged a little near the middle.
There were a bunch of great little extras in this edition; a wonderful introduction by Emma Donoghue, an afterword from Miller's former lover that talks about how and why she started writing the book, and other interesting titbits.
I've been meaning to read this for years, literally (added to my want-t0-read shelf in 2012) and I'm super happy that I finally did.
One of those books that's enjoyable just as much for the writing as it is for what is written. This one needs no introduction; a classic historical tale of two women daring to find a place for themselves. It was one of the first f/f novels with a happy ending. There's so much poetry here, so much loveliness in the writing, so many meaningful ruminations on love, on loving women, on freedom, on independence, on living in a patriarchal world. It was just really lovely, very naked in its passions. It wasn't overly fairytale-esque, and I loved that it saw them through big rough spots and little rough spots, showing all the work it takes to make a relationship work, but also showing how effortless and sweet love can be. I did think it got a tad bit too slow, or that might just be me; my interest flagged a little near the middle.
There were a bunch of great little extras in this edition; a wonderful introduction by Emma Donoghue, an afterword from Miller's former lover that talks about how and why she started writing the book, and other interesting titbits.
I've been meaning to read this for years, literally (added to my want-t0-read shelf in 2012) and I'm super happy that I finally did.