Impossible Saints

By Michèle Roberts

Book Overview

What does it take for a woman to be judged saintly? In this wily, wonderfully original novel, Michle Roberts tells the story of the fictional Saint Josephine: her life and death, her childhood and evolution from woman to nun to abbess, her unlikely canonization. The more we discover, the more incredible her sainthood seems. Who was Saint Josephine? Craven nun or fearless miracle worker? Pious role model or seductress? Illuminating Saint Josephine's story are the equally fantastical stories of eleven actual female saints: mad one-armed girls, beauties locked in towers, mothers who encourage their daughters' fatal anorexia, ingenues who seduce and dismember their fathers. Together the stories expose the historical conflict between female sexuality and religion, the roots of female roles in the church, and the troubled love between fathers and daughters. In original exploration of love, faith, and desire, Impossible Saints is a funny, disturbing, and utterly compelling novel about modern women who came before their time.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0156006596
• ISBN13: 9780156006590
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

BEAUTIFUL

Wonderfully written and intricately woven...it will leave you considering the lives of women, what courage looks like, and the saints among us all. Brava Ms. Roberts, Bravissima!

Unexpected

If you're looking for a traditional "Life of the Saints" sort of thing...don't bother. This is an unconventional look at the concept of female sainthood and the idea that many of these 'saints' were merely women who didn't quite fit in with current social expectations. Roberts weaves updated and cynical tales of real saints with the down to earth story of a fictional St. Josephine. There are a few miracles and each saint is given a distinct, often un-saint like voice. All in all, this was a good read and will certainly give the reader much to think about afterwards.