The Patron Saint of Ugly by Marie Manilla is a charming book. It is the story of Garnet Ferrari. The story is being told by Garnet as she records tapes for the Catholic church for it’s investigation of her possible sainthood. Garnet was born with a map of the world in raised, birth marked continents all over her body.
People in her small town of Sweetwater, Virginia believe that she can heal all sorts of skin maladies.
The characters in the book are varied from weak to mean, from loving to just plain distasteful. My favorite is Garnet’s Sicilian grandmother, Nonna with her old world curses and charms.
This book is the perfect bled of sweet and funny, and heartbreaking and joyful.
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