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    The Patron Saint or Butterflies: What Can You Believe When the One You Believe in Betrays You?
    The Patron Saint or Butterflies: What Can You Believe When the One You Believe in Betrays You?
    The Patron Saint or Butterflies: What Can You Believe When the One You Believe in Betrays You?
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Patron Saint or Butterflies: What Can You Believe When the One You Believe in Betrays You?

    Written by Cecilia Galante

    Narrated by Lydia Rose Shahan, Julie Swenson and Full Cast

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Best friends Agnes and Honey live at Mount Blessing, a religious commune. Agnes lives with her parents, and her little brother Benny. Honey, abandoned at birth, stays with Winky, the groundskeeper.

    The commune, headed by the charismatic Emmanuel, is orderly, well run. But its hiding a dark secret, a secret discovered by Agnes's grandmother, Nana Pete, on her annual visit.

    When a medical emergency forces Nana Pete into action the girls begin a painful journey of discovery that threatens to break their bond forever.

    Inspired by the author's own experiences, this is a powerful novel of faith and betrayal, loss and redemption.

    ©2008 Cecilia Galante (P)2011 Full Cast Audio

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFull Cast Audio
    Release dateJan 1, 2011
    ISBN9781936223190
    The Patron Saint or Butterflies: What Can You Believe When the One You Believe in Betrays You?

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    Reviews for The Patron Saint or Butterflies

    4/5

    113 ratings15 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This book about two girls escaping a religious cult is compelling not only for its timeliness but also because the author herself grew up in a similar commune and brings an insider perspective. It's a suspenseful, absorbing read with well-defined characters. A summer reading treat!
    • 5/5
      My first thought when I finished The Patron Saint of Butterflies amounted to only this: WOW. Following that, I sat down to consider why I was so blown away. I've narrowed it down and it definitely has to do with the uniqueness of this book. Ceclia Galante deals with some topics in this story that aren't generally addressed, and she does it through the eyes of young people. There is no sugar coating here, no hand holding, just truth that comes from the experiences of these characters. In other words? Perfection.

      Raised away from everything, in a religious commune, Agnes and Honey are like night and day. Friends since near birth, the girls have a very strong bond that follows them through the story. Both have extremely honest and real voices that are so wholly different. The reader is allowed to see the world through both Honey and Agnes' point of view, and that really changes the dynamic of the story. I'll be honest and say that there may be times in this story where I was close to despising Agnes. Her devout beliefs had a source, I knew, but I kept wavering between pity for her lack of life experience and wanting to hit her for being so naive. Honey on the other hand was a breath of fresh air. So alive, so unique, so unabashedly herself. The two of them play against one another wonderfully, and their differences really bring the story to life.

      The journey that these girls take is breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal parts. Ceclia Galante weaves a story that deals with parts of us we generally don't tend to address. What is friendship, truly? How far can it reach when stretched? What happens when you are on two split paths? What really impressed me, above all else, though was how honestly Galante shares her real life experiences. Through these two very different girls, Galante shows us life in a commune as she experienced it, and she does it without bashing religion. It is definitely discussed in all aspects of the matter, but never once does she bash another person's beliefs.

      The Patron Saint of Butterflies is a book that really hit me in the core. This book addresses religion, the idea of humanity, of family ties, and even the tried and true question of friendship. It is a book that made me ponder my own belief systems and ideas. Best of all, this story really is unlike anything I've had the opportunity to read lately. I can't express how much it blew me away. All I can say is that I want more.
    • 4/5
      I only read this book because, a few weeks ago on Shelfari, it had the most comments added for the day, and I'm really glad I did! Told from both Angus and Honey's perspectives, the book deals with life in a religious commune and the powerful control Emmanuel, the founder, has on his followers. Dealing with friendship, families, child abuse, lies and faith, "The patron saint of butterflies" is based on the author's own childhood experiences. An enjoyable read.
    • 5/5
      This is an excellent & well written story.

      Agnes (a practicing saint-wannabe) & Honey (a rule breaker) are best friends who live at Mount Blessing, a cult like religious commune with Agnes' parents.....Honey's mother has run away from the commune just after Honey's birth.

      The story opens with Agnes, Honey & their friend Peter being sent to Emmanuel's (the "divine one") "Regulation Room" for punishment.

      Nana Pete, Agnes' grandmother, comes for a visit just about the time Benny (Agnes' brother) gets two of his fingers slammed off in a barn door. Emmanuel pretends to make a "miracle" by sewing Benny's fingers back onto his hand...thus averting/denying professional medical help. Agnes' parents support Emmanuel in this.

      Nana Pete rescues Benny and takes him to the hospital....and from there life as it was begins to unravel for the children.

      This is an amazing book! I can truly identify with Honey who not only questions the authority and dogma set by Emmanuel but the "laws" of God as well.

      Both the characters of Honey & Agnes are so true to life little girls and their reactions to their experiences are those which move a soul.

      I liked it when Agnes forces Nana Pete to take them to a Sunday worship service and it turn out to be one of a Southern Baptist congregation.

      Wow! This was Great....thank-you to whomever it was who reviewed it earlier this month.
    • 3/5
      The Patron Saint of Butterflies is a wonder full book written by Galante Cecilia. She wrote the book coming from two girls, Agnes and Honey. They both live in the same place and are best friends right from the start. But both Agnes and Honey are very different and live very different lives. The author shows how easy it is just to live you lif and also how hard it can be. It is told wonderfully and I enjoyed it very much.
    • 3/5
      Alternating voice story of two young girls removed from a strict and scary Christian cult/commune. It was quite a ride, this book, well written and absorbing. The alternating voices also had different fonts which was a little wonky but certainly effective. The plot twists kept me involved and interested right up to the end. I'm interested to see what Galante follows this with.
    • 4/5
      A compelling read--didn't want to put it down and read in one day. Can be enjoyed by adults and young adults alike.
    • 5/5
      Words simply cannot describe how AMAZING this book turned out to be. So, simply put, I recommend this book to anyone. The book is filled with inspiration and hope...and will have you yearning to read more til the very last page.
    • 4/5
      It's a good thing business was slow at work while I was reading this book - I couldn't put it down. Galante shares a glimpse into the world of a conservative religious commune with the clarity born of personal experience; the remarkable thing is that she keeps opinion out of the narrative, presenting the story without preaching to the reader. The book's chapters alternate between Agnes' and Honey's points-of-view, giving the reader two very different sets of emotions and personalities, and two different private struggles. This novel is a great find for young adults, highlighting the importance of friendships, honesty, and most importantly standing up for oneself. Galante's writing is crisp and unadorned, perfect for this kind of storytelling. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more from Galante in the future!
    • 5/5
      I’m the last of my colleagues to read this book, and I must say, it is just as sweet, wonderful, heartbreaking, and important as they have all told me it would be. It’s the story of two girls - Honey and Agnes - who both live on a religious commune on the East Coast. Agnes longs to be saintly, and does everything she can to follow their leader, Emmanuel’s, rules. Honey suspects that their life is not normal, and, being orphaned, lives on the fringes of the community with a fellow outcast. Her perspective is just what Grandma Pete, Agnes’ grandmother, needs when she comes to visit. It’s not long before Grandma Pete decides to take matters into her own hands, and she and the girls are on the run. This story of sacrifice, resilience, and hope is one that will stick with you - one that we will remember for years to come.
    • 4/5
      This is amazing first by an author who really understands what it is like to grow up in a religious cult. The story is told from the point of views of two teen girls - Honey and Agnes, who have been "kidnapped" along with Agnes' little brother by her grandmother. By the end of the book, you really care about these girls, even though they are very different, and you cheer them on as they do what they think is right.
    • 4/5
      The Patron Saint of Butterflies is an apt title for a novel about two 14 year old girls who have never been allowed to fly free. Agnes and Honey live at the super strict religious commune Mt. Blessing where all outside influences are banned (no TV, no papers or books besides “The Saint’s Way”, barely any visitors) and thinking for yourself will get you sent to the Regulation Room for a beating by religious leader Emmanuel. The novel is told in alternating chapters by Agnes, who is trying her hardest to be a saint (she fasts, ties a too-tight rope around her waist, and experiments with sleeping on rocks – all things saints apparently did) and Honey, whose one joy is a butterfly garden she tends to and whose sneak peeks at a forbidden TV have made her aware that Mt. Blessing is whacked, to say the least. After all, this is no normal faith-based commune: red and orange foods are banned (because the devil gave them their color), only adult men leave the commune to work at outside jobs (to both support the commune and Emmanuel’s expensive toys like a color TV, wine, and a car – he’s made exceptions for himself to his own rules) and kids are separated from their parents at 6 months until they are 7 years old to break the child/parent bond and have them fixate on Emmanuel. Agnes and Honey both have distinct voices (and their own typeface) and friendship that feels authentic, but despite the novel being nearly 300 pages and more than half of it taking place in the “real world” after Agnes’ grandmother rescues them and Agnes’ younger brother, their characters feel a bit underdeveloped and one-note (Agnes is too stubborn, Honey too rebellious). The novel tackles weighty issues: child abuse, brainwashing, death, and whether you should follow the commandment to honor your mother and father even if they are clearly wrong. Religion and faith are treated with respect (the drudgery of services at Mt. Blessing is nicely contrasted with a scene at a Baptist church in the south where the joy of worship is obvious) - it is those who would pervert the truth that are taken to task here. We don’t get much back story on enigmatic leader Emmanuel, but it’s obvious he’s BAD – he wants people to worship him more than God (he plays the part of Jesus during Ascension week), he’s a megalomaniacal hypocrite, and despite all of his exhortations about purity and avoiding temptation, he sends a 7 year old girl to live with a grown, single man. Despite the heavy themes, this is a quick read with excellent pacing and a real sense of urgency. I enjoyed reading it very much.
    • 4/5
      Agnes and Honey are Believers, raised in the isolated community of Mount Blessing. The Believers live a life of piety and denial, worshiping Christ and Emmanuel, the founder of their community. Agnes believes with all her heart, and sets herself the goal of becoming a saint. Honey, an orphan, is much more rebellious, having had more exposure to the outside world. However, when the punishment practices of Emmanuel come to light, and Agnes' little brother Benny is seriously injured, Nana Pete, Agnes' grandmother takes the children. Forced into a world they know little about the two girls react very differently to their changed surroundings. I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. After starting off somewhat stereotypically, it veers off in interesting directions. I will say that I think Galante overplays her hand with the "shocking" secret of Honey's parentage; since she drops some major clues along the way, most readers won't react with shock when they find out. Both girls are drawn believably, with Agnes having more depth than Honey, who occasionally strays into stereotypical "rebel" territory. This book has topical appeal, and will probably appeal to girls more than boys.
    • 3/5
      Agnes and Honey have been living in Mount Blessing for their entire lives. Mount Blessing, an extremely religious community, is led by Emmanuel. Agnes loves this place. She even wants to become a saint. Honey doesn't. She hates mount Blessing and all it's stupid rules. No television or red food? That's just strange. Every Summer, Nana Pete, Agnes's grandmother, comes to visit. She shows them little things from the outside world, like food they can't have or cars. But this year she comes a bit early and when she hears about the awful things that have been happening to the children, she decides she has to help them.The Patron Saint of Butterflies is told in the point of view of both Agnes and Honey in alternating chapters. I think I liked Honey more. Agnes was a little over religious for me and didn't really seem to be able to think for herself. But, at the end Agnes really redeemed herself so I guess I won't dislike her too much. The ending was pretty good and the beginning wasn't that exciting or fast. It took me a little while to get past it but when I did I liked it.
    • 4/5
      Agnes and Honey were best friends growing up in a religious commune called Mount Blessing. But lately they have been drifting apart; Agnes is obsessed with living a saintly life, while Honey dreams of leaving Mount Blessing and living in the outside world. When Agnes' grandmother, Nana Pete, comes for a visit, a terrible secret about life at Mount Blessing is revealed. Then Agnes' little brother Benny is hurt in a horrible accident and Nana Pete takes the three children away from Mount Blessing, which is a dream come true for Honey but a crisis of faith for Agnes.This is a compelling story about faith and love, friendship and family. Who should Agnes trust, her grandmother and her friend, or her parents and the enigmatic leader of the commune, Emmanuel? Can Honey and Agnes regain their friendship or have they drifted too far apart? And in the end, should Agnes listen to herself or the voice of authority she has faithfully followed all her life?