The Patron Saint of Liars

Son, a secondary protagonist in the novel, is Rose’s second husband and the caretaker at Saint Elizabeth’s. He is in his forties when he meets Rose, and he, too, has a traumatic past. He is scarred by his relationship with his former fiancée, Cecilia, who treated him cruelly before she drowned to death; Son feels tremendous guilt and responsibility for her death. He arrived at Saint Elizabeth’s after fleeing his hometown after Cecilia died.

All the pregnant young women at Saint Elizabeth’s are “in love with Son” (61). He is extremely tall and strong. He is also quiet and kind, and he is an emotional support to many of the young women—and nuns—at Saint Elizabeth’s. He ends up falling in love with Rose and asks her to marry him; Rose agrees, primarily because she wants to stay on at Saint Elizabeth’s.

While Rose struggles to be a parent, Son excels as a father. Though he holds traditional ideas about motherhood—like how mothers must always care for their babies and must enjoy doing so—he is willing to do whatever is best for their daughter, Sissy. His greatest fear is losing Sissy, and he tries to never anger Rose because he worries that she might then take Sissy away from him.

Sissy is a secondary protagonist in the novel and is Rose’s daughter. While she believes that Son is her father, Thomas Clinton is her biological father. She looks nothing like Rose, and people remind her of this often, which she resents. As a baby, she is described as being “pale in every way, with hair fair enough to be called white” (160). As she grows older, she dislikes her physical appearance and ultimately dyes her hair, taking ownership over her appearance.

Sissy spends most of the novel desperately craving Rose’s attention and love. Additionally, she is the one most upset by her mother’s disappearance. Because of Rose’s inattention and subsequent absence from her life, Sissy is self-sufficient and mature beyond her years. After Rose’s departure, she takes on the responsibility of caring for Son, who is recovering from a recent injury, and Sister Evangeline, who is very old.

Sissy is a very dynamic character. She goes from being desperate to be loved by Rose to feeling content and ready to live a life without her. While her mother constantly searched for a sign from God, Sissy realizes she is a sign from God, highlighting her independence and self-confidence.

Sister Evangeline is one of the nuns at Saint Elizabeth’s. She has had many different roles at Saint Elizabeth’s, including the role of Mother Superior. However, because of her age, she has been relegated to work in the kitchen. Despite her failing eyesight, she is successful at her job but is much happier when Rose arrives and works alongside her. She loves the girls at Saint Elizabeth’s fiercely and is happiest when they come to visit her in the kitchen.

Sister Evangeline has psychic abilities and can often predict the future. She primarily uses this power to predict the gender of the residents’ babies. However, she can also predict these babies’ futures. For instance, she knows that Angie’s baby will die but withholds the information from her, not wanting to upset her. Sister Evangeline claims, “I know all sorts of things” (141), and she frequently makes correct predictions regarding relationships and career choices. In addition to these psychic abilities, she also has a wealth of knowledge. For example, when Beatrice decides to give birth at Saint Elizabeth’s, Sister Evangeline is quickly able to assist because she knows how to deliver babies.

Sister Evangeline’s supernatural powers border on sainthood. She is very old when Rose arrives and is still alive when Sissy is 15, suggesting that her powers help keep her alive. Additionally, as she gets older, she develops an unexplained wound on her hand that is reminiscent of a stigmata, which is something that some saints are said to have. Sister Evangeline also has a deep knowledge of the saints that borders on an obsession, and she frequently tells the girls what saint they should look to.

Though she has never had children of her own, Sister Evangeline is portrayed as the ideal mother: generous, selfless, and warm. She mothers everyone, especially Rose.

Mother Corrine is the novel’s main antagonist. She is the Mother Superior of Saint Elizabeth’s, a role she cherishes because it gives her power. She particularly enjoys punishing Rose and Sister Evangeline because they both threaten her sense of power and identity.

Mother Corrine is very traditional and despises it when the girls act in ways she finds inappropriate or untraditional; she thus reveals The Benefits and Shortcomings of Tradition and Faith. She often makes them dress in more conservative ways and has strict opinions about how they should spend their time. She also believes in strict gender roles; when she has a problem with Rose’s behavior, she speaks to Son about it because she believes he can control his wife. In many ways, she represents the strict ideas of the Catholic Church.

Mother Corrine despises liars. One of her pet peeves is when the girls tell her in their intake interviews that the fathers of their babies died; this is a popular lie since the girls do not want to admit to being abandoned, but Mother Corinne does not understand their vulnerability. Her biggest fight with Rose happens when she accuses Rose of being genetically predisposed to lying. Mother Corrine struggles to see The Complexity of Truth and Lies, leading her to have conflict with most of the other characters.