Tender and sweet and filled with empathy. I wish I had read this at a different time. Picking it up immediately after finishing Together We Will Go, another book about a gang of damaged misfits means they both blended together. The writing was nothing special, but it was so easy to feel for each of the characters.

I very much enjoyed this story. It was wonderfully written. I look forward to the author’s next book!

Agatha is committed to God and the church but, more than anything, she is committed to her sisters. When their diocese goes bankrupt, she can't fathom doing anything else but going with her sisters wherever they are sent. None of them expected to be assigned to a halfway house in Rhode Island. Agatha, Frances, Therese, and Mary Lucille leave behind their home and everyone they know to try to do some good for the people of Little Neon and the students at the local high school.

Agatha of Little Neon is, in a way, a coming of age story. While she is in her mid-twenties, Agatha is discovering for the first time that the people in authority are not always looking out for her best interests. She is also starting to wonder who she might be if she hadn't promised her life to God and her sisters. Agatha, Frances, Therese, and Mary Lucille are well-acquainted with many of the virtues, but the thing that rings true on every page is kindness--they are kind to themselves, kind to each other, and kind to the people they encounter who are doing the best they can. This is a story about figuring out who you are and what is important when your community and your beliefs let you down.

Agatha of Little Neon
By Claire Luchette
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux August 2021
274 pages

Thank you NetGalley and FSG books for this tender little gem of a novel. The prose pops from page 1, and is incredibly stunning in moments. The novel follows the lives of 4 nuns who move from a convent to a halfway home when their diocese disbands. As they adjust to their new lives, the novel hones in on the development of Agatha, who calls herself the "eyes" of the group. She is astute and brilliant, stepping in to teach children geometry while learning it herself. However, the changes draw out a repressed past from her. As the story unfolds, we get to peer deeper into Agatha's soul and a queer reckoning comes out. It is special, and soft in all the right places. While I didn't particularly fall into the novel as hard as I expected to, Agatha's voice carried me gently through the novel. I think for someone who has perhaps interacted more with the church or is interested in complex religious-toned narratives, this might be a better fit.

A very different book, always a good thing if it is different good! The story of sisterhood between nuns; hardly the subject matter to appeal to an atheist like me, but it transcends superficial beliefs in its funny and poignant exploration of having a religious faith, or not, and how life impacts on every one of us whether we are nun sisters or simply true friends.

Charming, insightful, compelling!

Sometimes I start to read a book and after a few pages realize this is a book I did not realize my soul was yearning for at this moment in time. Luchette’s charming debut of a young nun’s journey to finding community and fitting is soothingly graceful and poignant that it blocked out all of the noise of nightly news with its disheartening divisive messages and allowed me to relax into the power of story to be uplifting and inspiring.

Agatha (our narrator) and her three sister nuns are twenty-nine and have been together for the past seven years and have bonded/merged into being one voice. They have now been assigned to a half-way house to help the residents overcome addiction and other demons, a position none are qualified for except they are free labor due to the self-inflicted financial problems of the Catholic Church. Agatha has been given an additional assignment as a high school math teacher because she is the smartest of the nuns. Agatha is now beginning to see the world and others through individual eyes, and her identity begins to switch from a collective one to an individualized one.

This well paced story is told through flashbacks in short chapters that are impassioned in the most gentle way making the storyline relatable and compelling. The standout in the craft of this book for me is the well-drawn characterizations both in the everyday mundane details and the dignity provided to them along with the use of dark humor in the most humane way and the unexpected friends who help you on your journey to be you.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If I hadn’t moved cross country while in the middle of this book, I would’ve finished it much faster. And I’ve already bought myself a copy. Wow. This subtle, brilliant novel is one of my favorites this year. The prose is gorgeous and funny and whipsmart, and I fell head over heels for the main character, Agatha. This is such a tender, aching novel about belonging and the difference between believing and wanting to believe. Each and every detail is rendered perfectly, carefully, lovingly. What a fabulous debut.

Many, many thanks to FSG & NetGalley.

Agatha of Little Neon was unexpectedly quirky and enjoyable, though maybe a little forgettable too. Agatha is a nun, who along with her 3 other Sisters, gets transferred to run a halfway-house in Rhode Island. While there, Agatha comes to know the residents and also begins to more deeply explore her path in life.

I liked the characters in this book., especially the residents of the halfway house. But I wanted to spend more time with them, and get to know them better. I think Tim Gary was the only one I really got to care about by the end, besides Agatha herself.

There are a lot of good starts here: quirky characters, moments of humor and sadness, reflections on faith and sexuality. But I wanted each element to go just a little further.

About midway through this story, I found myself getting bored with it and almost quit. But I’m glad I stuck around for the last 25%., where you really get to the heart of Luchette’s story. I think there is a lot of potential here for her as a storyteller, and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

I’m judging the L.A. Times 2020 and 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

A wholly original work. And the writing… gah… “When I was young, I thought womanhood would bring autonomy. Glamour. Fur coats and fat wallets. Days entirely of my design. I planned, as a girl, to become the kind of woman who kept a pen in her breast pocket; it seemed important that when I grew up I always had my own pen, that I never had need to borrow anything from anyone else.” I’m really loving this book.

This was a lovely read Agatha and the other sisters are characters that immediately drew me in to their parish their lives.When their parish bankrupt and they are forced to move their life adjustment made this book a thoughtful warm read a book that Shows how adjustments in life can be made.I will be recommending this novel.# netgalley #fsg

For a first novel, Claire Lucette did a wonderful job. Agatha of Little Neon is a fresh look at society and the church through the eyes of a novice sister. Injustice and cruelty exist in all aspects of life and the church has been hiding the truth for years. There is just so much a person can tolerate an Agatha reached her breaking point. Read Claire Lucette’s insightful first novel.

Agatha of Little Neon is a gem of a novel. Claire Luchette’s prose is a delight to read, its deceptive simplicity bringing to mind authors such as Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett. From the very first pages, I was taken by Agatha’s thoughtful introspections—on her sisters, the people around her, her new community, the church—and her quiet wit.
Not only does Luchette demonstrate huge insight into human nature but I was always aware of how much empathy she had towards the people she’s writing of, regardless of who they are. While I was reading Agatha’s story it was clear to me that Luchette cared deeply about her characters, and she showcases both tenderness towards and understanding of her characters ( their struggles, desires, ‘flaws’, regrets).

“No one could understand why I hated talking, why it was so much work to come up with something to say. It was even more work to make it true or funny or smart. And then when you’d come up with it, you had to say it, and live with having said it.”


Agatha’s voice drew me in, so much so, that it seemed almost to me that I had been transported alongside her to Little Neon. After their parish experiences, some financial setbacks Agatha and her three sisters are relocated to Woonsocket where they will be staying at a halfway home, ‘Little Neon’. Over the previous 9 years the four sisters have led a symbiotic existence but once in Woonsocket Agatha finds herself growing apart from them. While her sisters stay at Little Neon, where they are meant to watch over its residents, Agatha teaches geometry at a local all-girl school. Here, for the first time in years, she is alone and unsupervised and this new independence forces her to reconsider who she is and what she wants. These realizations dawn on her slowly and over time, which made her ‘journey’ all the more authentic.
Agatha is a quiet and observant person who was drawn to the Church by her faith in God and by her desire to belong. For years her sisterhood with Frances, Therese, and Mary Lucille fulfilled her longing for connection but once she begins living at Little Neon she finds herself growing attached to its various residents in a way her sisters do not.

“How horrible, how merciful, the ways we are, each of us, oblivious to so much of the hurt in the world.”


Much of the narrative focuses on seemingly mundane, everyday moments. Meals, chores, trips to the local shops, car journeys. Yet, many of these scenes carry a surprising weight. These ‘small’ moments are given significance, Agatha, and by extension, us, may come to know someone else better or she finds her mind drifting to her past, her faith, her sisters.
Throughout the course of Agatha’s story, Luchette shows, without telling, the many ways in which the Church disempowers, exploits, and silences its women. Luchette’s commentary on the Church and its hierarchies and inner workings never struck me as didactic. Agatha’s disapproval of the Church does not result in loss of faith, something that I truly appreciated.
Luchette’s meditations on Christianity, sisterhood, loneliness, longing, belonging were truly illuminating. The author’s prose is graceful without falling into sentimentalism. In fact, some of the imagery within the story is quite stark and much of the narrative is permeated by a gentle but felt melancholy. This made those moments of connection and contentment all the more heartfelt and special.
There was a sense of sadness too, one that often resulted in many bittersweet moments. And, this particular line broke my heart as it reminded me of Jude from A Little Life: “I don’t think I have the constitution for it. For being alive.”

Agatha of Little Neon is an exquisite debut novel. The writing is beautiful, the characters compelling, the narrative moving. While it won’t appeal to those who are interested in plot-driven stories, readers who are seeking rewarding character arcs and/or thematically rich narratives should definitely consider picking this up.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sister Agatha's life first falls apart and then expands when her parish goes belly up, Mother Roberta concedes to age, and she, along with three other sisters are sent to Woonsocket, Rhode Island to staff a sort of halfway house for addicts and others. She's spent her life trying to stay in the shadows but now she's coerced into teaching geometry to high school girls (after teaching it to herself) and into developing relationships with others. Tim Gary, a man who descended into opiate addiction after cancer took part of his jaw, touches something in Agatha she's not felt before-not romance but empathy. So too with the women at the house. I loved these characters wh0 leap off the page with well turned phrases. The writing shines in this slim novel that packs a punch. Yes it's charming but it's also tragic in spots. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommend.

There is something new here. A thoughtful, wry voice with eyes that are open wide. From page one I pronounce myself an Agatha fan, and am interested in her day-to-day world as she lives a life I never in a million years would choose. It didn't not put me off at all. In fact, like best friends who make weird choices, I was right by her side, and as she confessed her vulnerabilities, quirks, preferences, questions and concerns, I realized we are not so very far apart. She's a champion, making hard choices, seeing and hearing sights and sounds missed by her beloved sisters, and dispelling fear in the best way possible: just walking through it.

There's a lot we don't get here, on purpose . . . but the author is artfully leaving gaps small enough to allow readers to build their own bridges in the narrative. Still, you can't blame me for wanting more from Agatha in the future, the rest of the story. I highly recommend this book and hope for another!

A Sincere Thanks to Claire Luchette, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #agathaoflittleneon #NetGalley

Devoured this in one sitting. Agatha was a good main character and her point of view was refreshing. Nice to read about all of her inner workings as she went along. Having grown up around a lot of sisters and nuns some of the descriptions brought me back in time. The abbess was a character I would have liked to learned more about.

Overall a well written book. Especially for a first novel. My one gripe is I don’t think there is a Kroger near Lackawanna or Buffalo, pretty sure the closest one is down near Albany. So the couple of Kroger references were confusing. Especially after the author mentioned Tops (local store). Why not use Wegmans or another local chain?

I really found this book quirky and liked seeing a more realistic humanistic view of nuns that it not related to just being devout. I found this book endearing in many ways and really liked the comical little quips and unique characters in the neon house. I really wish the pacing of the book would have been better and the story would have been more developed. The ending seemed to just fall completely flat to me It was very matter of fact and in no way showed any real emotion about making the transition from nearly a decade of living one way and having that change. There were many parts in the book that just seemed to amble around and just go off on a tangent, but then go nowhere. This was frustrating. I found Agatha to have more of a follower mindset, but then had ambitions for things to be different. I found this to be unique. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I just finished reading Agatha of Little Neon and I feel, I don't know, maybe the word is: "raptured." Which is different from feeling merely "enraptured," I don't even care what this story is about--although I loved the story--because what has left me feeling weepy and loose-jointed and maybe even a little in love with Claire Luchette is the prose. The words. The way the sentences leap and curve and sometimes stop still and hang there, suspended--until the next breath comes. The language stupefied me. I kept thinking: How can words on their own be so delightful? How can words keep silently making these lovely little starbursts come inside my mind, almost entirely independent of their meaning? How can a whole book of sentences just keep on, and keep on, each next-sentence so unexpected and delightful? So here is what I'm trying to say: If you're a prose person, then you may feel the same way. It's not elaborate prose. It's more like the most lovely handmade thing you ever came across in an antique shop, that handcrafted thing you've been looking for all your life and didn't know it. There it is in front of you. I can't be trusted about this novel any longer is what I'm trying to say. Because this novel has enchanted me.

This was absolutely stellar and I was pulled into the story right away. Agatha won me over so quickly, I was sad when it was over. I found all of the characters and their situations to be incredibly interesting and the descriptions of all of them so vivid. I wished I could've learned more about Agatha's life after leaving the order but understood why the author chose to end it the way she did. Overall, it was incredibly interesting and unique, and I will definitely be recommending this.

At some point in your life, if you are gay, you have probably experienced at least one sudden, pivotal moment of realization that the people around you were different from you in a way you could not articulate. Perhaps this moment came one day while you were feeling left out at recess in elementary school, or one night when your friend stood too close to you at a high school dance. Or perhaps, like Agatha, you are a nun--newly punted from your familiar diocese of origin into a bright green halfway house in Rhode Island, and starting to question everything you once believed about yourself, your family and the world.

For anyone with the lived experience of being a gay Catholic, or of being a member of either of these two communities, Luchette’s writing will resonate with eerie emotional accuracy. Her examination of faith through the eyes of one in doubt may well reignite a spark of belief or sense of belonging that you thought you had left behind a long time ago. However, straights, atheists and others will indubitably find much to love about this novel as well. This book is delicately and beautifully wrought, with a decent helping of lovable misfit characters that will appeal to fans of Tom Robbins or John Irving. You can breeze through it in an afternoon, but it will stay with you for much longer.

This book struck a chord with me. As a woman with a complicated relationship with the Catholic Church, I related to Agatha's struggles with her vocation. Agatha seems to be a very moral person, and sometimes morality is in outright conflict with religiousness. I enjoyed the way she cared for those around her.