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Patience and Sarah  By  cover art

Patience and Sarah

By: Isabel Miller
Narrated by: Jean Smart, Janis Ian
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Publisher's summary

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
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

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.

What listeners say about Patience and Sarah

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A beautiful tale blooms with great narration.

I first read Patience and Sarah more than 40 years ago, and remembered it fondly as one of the first LGBT novels to contain three-dimensional characters, and to give those characters a happy ending. I was a bit apprehensive about listening to this audiobook -- I didn't want the tenderness and innocence of the plot and characters to be ruined by an insensitive interpretation by the narrators.

I needn't have worried: Jean Smart and Janis Ian are perfect as Patience and Sarah. Jean Smart delivers a lovely and delicate performance as an educated young single woman who, as was often the case in the early 19th Century, has no choice but to live with her married brother and his family. While she is better off than many other single women (her father did settle certain property and money on her, which is, of course, controlled by her brother), she is not a happy woman, and (based upon her sister-in-law's life) is not interested in obtaining a husband.

Janis Ian gives an excellent performance as Sarah, the daughter of a farmer whose farm is a few miles from Patience's brother's land. In the absence of a son in the family, Sarah's father has designated her as the "boy" who works alongside her father in the fields and generally lifts, hauls and performs manual labor. If you are familiar with Janis Ian's speaking voice, you will know that it serves very well as the voice of an unpolished girl who has grown up among men and boys, and speaks roughly.

From the time that Patience and Sarah first meet, each is intrigued by the other. As time goes by, their feelings deepen into emotions that they have no words for. The descriptions of small town life and farming in 1800's New England ring true, as do the objections of Sarah's father and Patience's brother to their relationship. And the apprehension of both women when they are finally able to break free and go together into an unknown world is very well handled by the author. The final joy is a wonderful ending.

This book is well worth a listen, no matter your orientation or your political views.

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40 people found this helpful

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Even better than I imagined!

Would you listen to Patience and Sarah again? Why?

I'm familiar with this story, but the voices of Jean Smart and Janis Ian brought these characters to life in a way the voice in my head never did. I will listen to this many times, especially when I share beautiful passages with others.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of them

Which character – as performed by Jean Smart and Janis Ian – was your favorite?

Jean Smart's voice of Patience was so sweet and delightful, with a touch of naughty that was just delicious.

Any additional comments?

I laughed out loud, chuckled and at times wept with joy throughout this story.
Can't wait to listen again.

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24 people found this helpful

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Beautiful story. Beautiful performance.

I first read this book decades ago and loved it! Nicely written historical fiction featuring two women who fall in love in the early 1800s. Patience and Sarah know what they feel for each other, but they don't even have the words to describe how they feel. They don't know any other women who are lovers. As they step outside of their geographical area and head for New York, they begin to open their eyes to the possibilities they could only dream about.

Jean Smart and Janis Ian give perfect voice To Patience and Sarah. Jean Smart is the voice of Patience, delivering an excellent performance full of nuance, strength and tenderness. Janis Ian is the straightforward, innocent and loving character, Sarah. Together they breathe life into the characters in a way that the book alone can't provide.

You need not be a fan of LG BT literature to enjoy this tender story.

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18 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Superbly Rendered Lesbian Classic

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.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Lovely story. Beautifully read

This story is so beautifully read. It almost feels like a song -- a folk opera. The singer/songwriter, janis ian beautifully renders this special love story

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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Very boring

Main narrator had very little inflection in her voice. It put me to sleep. Couldn't finish it. Had to return it.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A performance that enhances the story well told

My umpteenth time reading this book. I enjoy it... every time. The performance is sterling. It brings out the writing like reading it never would. I highly recommend it.

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9 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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A new definition for "melting."

While the author introduces "melting" as a metaphor for orgasm between same-sex (female) lovers -- I found myself melting with boredom. I mean, how many ways can you say they are having sex without saying they are having sex -- while trying so hard to say they are in fact having sex. Nice little story -- but little it is. I had to force myself to finish it. As for the narration, One of them was excellent, I could tell the different characters one from the other. The other? Not so much -- in fact, with the other, I couldn't tell the characters apart.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A precious love story.

My favorite story of two women, well written and performed beautifully. I highly recommend this audio book.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Quiet Surprise

I was quietly surprised and entertained by the gentle storytelling of these two pioneer women and their inspirational love.

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2 people found this helpful