Heather’s Bookshelf: Words for Patty Jo
Author: Jill Arlene Culiner
Released: 03/16/26
Genre: Adult Romance/Literary Fiction
“Because there’s something magical about a theater, something intoxicating about constructing another existence, stepping into another reality. Which will never happen to her. Ever. Growing up means acknowledging a few truths. It means knowing that you might always be an outsider. A watcher.”
“Words for Patty Jo” follows two small-town teenagers: Patty Jo and David. The two seemingly star-crossed lovers come from different backgrounds and sides of town, yet they are still drawn together.
Patty Jo’s adoptive family is unsupportive, controlling, and abusive. Unmotivated by the content of her courses, she’s failing school and her desires to learn more through literature suppressed. She’s determined to drop out of school and settle into the expectation of waitressing, marrying. David’s from a prestigious and supportive (though judgmental) family, excels at school, and is preparing to attend University.
An unexpected mutual attraction and love of literature leads to a brief and passionate courtship hindered by prejudices of family and neighbors. When the time comes for David to head to University, he feels somehow lost and obligated. Meanwhile, Patty Jo meets and marries the slick salesman, Don Ried. The couple has two boys and a lovely little apartment, but Don’s abusive and violent.
Patty Jo escapes, leaving her children behind, to the streets of Toronto and struggles to survive. Meanwhile, David’s promising career and marriage aren’t all they seem to be. Will Patty Jo and David find their way back to each other or are they destined to live out their life circumstances?
Trigger Warning: violence, domestic violence, sexual situations, adult language, animal death (farm-related), reference to drug use, reference to suicide
Overall, I enjoyed the journey of this tale. The story is told over decades, in the the third-person, and through the POVs of the two main protagonists, Patty Jo and David. The third person took a while to get into and didn’t seem to fit the beginning of the book. However, the opposing POVs assisted in both character development and insight into plot development. Don Ried is detestable and probably all-too-familiar for many readers. Patty Jo’s view of herself and life (often due to those around her) is heartbreaking. Her fruitless efforts to find help are gut-wrenching. I enjoyed following both David and Patty Jo on their journeys. As the story takes place over a period of time with key time “fast-forwards”, it’s nice to follow their evolutions which all make sense and stay true to the characters. Both David and Patty Jo are interesting, well-developed, and relatable characters who are easy to connect to. I found the pacing of the story to be inconsistent with the middle third dragging a bit. However, the ending of the tale wraps everything up nicely and in a way that feels natural for the story’s progression.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
This literary fiction/romance follows two characters who become separated by life and circumstance. Well-developed and connected characters are hindered by story structure and pacing.
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Check out my interview with Jill Arlene Culiner
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