The story begins at the sea on an island in Germany at a time when the town is abuzz because the Lugwig Zirkus has come to town. But tragedy strikes when a Hundred Year Wave takes three young siblings out to sea and lives on the island are changed forever. Three mothers in particular are the focus of this story. Lotte, whose children are taken by the wave, Sabine, whose daughter will always remain a child, and Tilli, a child herself who gives birth to her own baby amidst the tragedy. Hegi brilliantly weaves the lives of these three women together as they all fight their own demons and attempt to overcome their struggles and find peace. From marriage to motherhood, Hegi illuminates the struggles that humans face as they live the lives that fate has handed them. There is a also a mystical aspect to this story as the Old Women weave lore and legend into the lives of these women. I enjoyed the novel greatly, even though I had a bit of difficulty keeping track of all the characters, and how they related to the main storyline.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The premise of the book was interesting but unfortunately the finished product was disappointing. I loved Stones From A River and had high hopes. I rated it a generous 3.

I was very excited to begin this book after reading the description. The premise sounds amazing and the setting and cast of characters sounded promising.

On a German island, a giant wave takes out three young children belonging to the Jansen family. Mothers from the Ludwig Zirkus, from St. Margaret's Home for Pregnant Girls, and from the island town come together to aid each other through grief and other life experiences.

I found the writing extremely difficult to follow. The point of view jumped all over the place without a smooth transition. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and reviewed the book in December. This leaves several months for editing and I would be interested in trying this book again if there were any changes made. It was much too difficult to enjoy the story line the way it's currently written.

The women from various backgrounds that were able to assist each other through their difficult life experiences was very touching. I also enjoyed learning more about the obstacles faced during life in the 1800's.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved Stones from the River years ago, and was excited to delve into this new one. While I wasn't left disappointed, it definitely wasn't what I expected and I was left feeling a little "meh" at the end. I liked the premise of the pregnant girls and their home, the traveling circus, and how things wove together. However, at times it did seem a little scattered and hard to follow. Narration point of view would switch, not solid transitions between settings too.
Good solid ending. I enjoyed this read, and am thankful for the ARC from Netgalley!

Ursula Hegi’s novel “The Patron Saint of Pregnant Women” is set in 1878, on a real island off the coast of Germany, the Nordstrand, where there is a tale of a vanished island, Rungholt. Rungholt is real: the “Atlantis of Norsee” was washed away by a massive storm in 1362.

The novel teeters right on the edge of magical realism. A nearly fantastical panorama of human experience is lived out within one small island, one small traveling circus (Zirkus), and the island’s convent, St. Margaret’s, a haven and school for pregnant girls. Hegi’s style is ethereal and methodical at the same time, with a flood (Hochwasser) of emotions just beneath the surface. It is sometimes unclear whether the biggest Zirkus is under the tents with the animals or in the audience; the Zirkus seems at times to be more normal than the island at large or the convent, which has a poor adoption record and is full of children.

Part of the book is written in first person (narrated by Sabine, a seamstress with the circus) and part is written in third person, and in this reviewer's opinion Hegi should have chosen one or the other.
The Old Women of the Nordstrand have weathered, and help other women to weather, unbelievable ordeals, but some griefs, they whisper, may never heal, and some methods of coping are unholy, and will bring more of the wrath of God and the sea—the same thing, in their view—upon the tenuous landscape.

The good nuns of St. Margaret’s are busy turning shamed pregnant girls into certified teachers with references, but some girls, they whisper, may never fit into their system.

The trio at the heart of the story are all mothers: Lottie, who can’t heal from her grief over her three children, swept out to sea by the Hochwasser, Tilli, who can’t get with the program at St. Margaret’s, and Sabine, who breaks all the rules in trying to secure her fragile daughter's future.

As with Hegi’s masterpiece “Stones From the River,” misfits are a big theme, whether gender misfits, differently abled misfits, family misfits, religious misfits, or some combination of the above. The reader encounters many closely held secrets, much tragic human weakness, much uplifting and powerful love, and the constant presence of the chilly sea, soothing but also menacing.

The premise of this book intrigued me, but unfortunately it wasn't what I expected it to be. I feel bad having the first 1 star review, but I have to be honest about my experience. This one just wasn't for me.
When I first started, I thought the story was a little strange, but the writing was beautiful, so I was willing to see where it would go. But eventually, the writing became the biggest obstacle for me. It's lyrical and rich, but it's heavy handed. I couldn't follow the plot because it was hidden behind the prose, metaphors, and the strange shifting perspectives between first person and third person. I just finished the book minutes ago, and I couldn't tell you what happened. There were also several things that were described in such a weird way that it just made me uncomfortable to read.
There were also far too many characters and plot points going on at once. There was the drama with the wave, the circus, the sisters, the pregnant girls, the beekeeper, and so much more I don't even remember. I know the author was trying to weave all the threads of plot together, but it just got messy and made it even more confusing to understand. I feel like either half of the characters and plot points needed to be cut out, or this should have been more of an anthology following each of the characters in this world.
I understand this is an early copy, and I'm sure there's time for the author to edit and improve this story to make it palatable. But for me, I don't think there could be a dramatic enough change to shift my rating.

There was a lot of different stories woven together in this one and it could be a little overwhelming. A lot of names/characters were thrown at the start and it switched around between their stories in a way that distracted me from becoming attached to any of the characters. I liked the ideas behind the stories of the characters, just not the cluttered way they were presented.

A unique and touching story. Interwoven lives of people in a small town around a home for young pregnant girls. Beautiful visuals and memorable characters all with strength through suffering.

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are purely my own and not influenced in any way.--

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting with this book, but I do know that this wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I read the synopsis.

I'm an avid historical fiction fan, so I did like some of the settings of late nineteenth century Germany, and I actually liked the exploration into how grief can make you believe what you want to believe only for reality to come crashing down. That said, that's not really enough to build a book on, so we apparently had to add in all sorts of characters and a randomly switching narrative (seriously, most of it's in third person, but one perspective is in first person). There's nothing that denotes a new perspective, so some of the switches can be rather jarring. There are FAR to many character perspectives in this, and many of which add NOTHING to the plot (the Old Women? Added nothing. The many people in the house for pregnant women? Keep one or two, but it becomes kind of stale when everyone is saying and experiencing the same thing), but instead bog down an already bloated story. There's simultaneously too much happening (circus, house for pregnant girls, and the grown subplot) and nothing happening. For so much going on, I was amazed at how bored I was reading this, maybe because the many alternating point of views made it difficult to connect with anyone since you never really KNEW anyone. I feel like this would've been better as a series of short stories rather than a constantly wandering narrative.

For what it's worth, I don't necessarily think the ideas presented were bad, but I find that presenting them all at once makes for a cluttered and confusing read.

The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls by Ursula Hegi is a very deep and philosophical novel that makes one think about life in the 1800s and the dilemmas faced in that era. Of course there is the Home for Pregnant Girls that dominants the plot line but there is also an interwoven plot involving infidelity, loss, circus life and a family that loses three of their four children because of a rising tide! All of this is touched upon in this story, For someone who is interested in a challenging and multi themed novel thiis the book for you.

I had great difficulty with this book. I have read the authors previous books and never had a problem with the language. I am not sure what caused my problem but when I I analyzed it I think it was the translation. It was awkward and did not flow. I found it disturbed the narrative and I could not finish the book because of it. Sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book!

I found this book to be oddly scattered. I would get into the story, and then the point of view and voice would change. One second it would be 3rd person, and then it would be 1st person. It threw me out of the narrative every time.

What this book boils down to is the intersection of 3 women's lives: Lotte, Tilli and Sabine. However, I never felt like there was a real focus, and new characters popped up constantly. It just never felt cohesive to me.

This book wasn’t quite what I expected. The story had promise, but folklore and abundance of characters got in the way. I did enjoy reading a book that was different than my typical genre of books. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review copy!

The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls by Ursula Hegi is a historical fiction piece that has many elements added: folklore, fantasy, history.
The elements fuse into a novel that is rich in imagery, emotion, and invokes a response from deep within.

I enjoyed this book immensely as it was slightly out of my normal genre, however it was totally worth the experience. I was not sure where this book would initially take me, but as it progressed, the plot quickened and I quickly became immersed. The ending was quite satisfying and impressive.

Definitely a great read.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am submitting this review to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Bookbub, and B&N accounts immediately.

A unique book that wasn’t quite what I expected. I enjoyed the folklore and the story itself. Although I felt that there were too many characters that I couldn’t really relate, and become attached to any of them. It was a quick read, and different than my typical genre of books. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

I did not care for this book at all. It was not to my taste at all and I couldn't get into the book because of how dull it was and wasn't worth reading.

This is written by an experienced, talented author, and that shines through. She writes great characters experiencing great drama, and includes good dialog to go with it. Recommended for literature fans.

I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!

I read Stones from the River many years ago, so when I had the chance to read this one, before release, I jumped at the chance! Hegi has a way of making the extraordinary seem more ordinary and vice versa, with characters that are unique. This has a varied cast of characters: a family who loses three children, and how they react to the terrible tragedy; a disparate group of compassionate nuns living in an abandoned mansion they have restored, along with the various pregnant girls they take in; the traveling circus group and all of their idiosyncrasies and problems in their lives; the town people who vie to be crowned the oldest person; to the interactions among all of these people.
I knew it wouldn't be an ordinary novel, and it wasn't! Some of the people with the worst problems grasp and embellish on a local myth for self-soothing, to the point of true belief with possible dangerous consequences. I was almost holding my breath towards the end! I do like endings that don't leave you wondering what happened, but it did seem like it was finished very quickly at the end. I could have used a little more wrap up, but I did enjoy it! Thank you to Ursula Hegi, Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC.