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Sister Noon
Loosely based in historical fact, Sister Noon is a wryly funny, playfully mysterious, and totally subversive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club .
Lizzie Hayes, a member of the San Francisco elite, is a seemingly docile, middle-aged spinster praised for her volunteer work with the Ladies Relief and Protection Society Home, or "The Brown Ark". All she needs is the spark that will liberate her from the ruling conventions.
When the wealthy and well-connected, but ill-reputed Mary Ellen Pleasant shows up at the Brown Ark, Lizzie is drawn to her. It is the beautiful, but mysterious Mary Ellen, an outcast among the women of the elite because of her notorious past and her involvement in voodoo, who will eventually hold the key to unlocking Lizzie's rebellious nature.
Lizzie Hayes, a member of the San Francisco elite, is a seemingly docile, middle-aged spinster praised for her volunteer work with the Ladies Relief and Protection Society Home, or "The Brown Ark". All she needs is the spark that will liberate her from the ruling conventions.
When the wealthy and well-connected, but ill-reputed Mary Ellen Pleasant shows up at the Brown Ark, Lizzie is drawn to her. It is the beautiful, but mysterious Mary Ellen, an outcast among the women of the elite because of her notorious past and her involvement in voodoo, who will eventually hold the key to unlocking Lizzie's rebellious nature.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2001
About the author
Karen Joy Fowler
145 books1,563 followersKaren Joy Fowler is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels and three short story collections. Her 2004 novel, The Jane Austen Book Club, spent thirteen weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list and was a New York Times Notable Book. Fowler’s previous novel, Sister Noon, was a finalist for the 2001 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction. Her debut novel, Sarah Canary, won the Commonwealth medal for best first novel by a Californian, was listed for the Irish Times International Fiction Prize as well as the Bay Area Book Reviewers Prize, and was a New York Times Notable Book. Fowler’s short story collection Black Glass won the World Fantasy Award in 1999, and her collection What I Didn’t See won the World Fantasy Award in 2011. Her most recent novel We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, won the 2014 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction and was short-listed for the 2014 Man Booker Prize. Her new novel Booth published in March 2022.
She is the co-founder of the Otherwise Award and the current president of the Clarion Foundation (also known as Clarion San Diego). Fowler and her husband, who have two grown children and seven grandchildren, live in Santa Cruz, California. Fowler also supports a chimp named Caesar who lives at the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone.
She is the co-founder of the Otherwise Award and the current president of the Clarion Foundation (also known as Clarion San Diego). Fowler and her husband, who have two grown children and seven grandchildren, live in Santa Cruz, California. Fowler also supports a chimp named Caesar who lives at the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
April 2, 2014
I love this writer. I don't want to ruin anything about this book for you, so I'll just say that it takes place in San Francisco in the Gilded Age and that all the really interesting characters are women. How often do you get to read a book like that?
February 18, 2011
I honestly still cannot decide how many stars to give this book. It's a strange, dreamy book. Definitely not plot-driven, but the language is so beautiful and lyrical that I still enjoyed the ride. Until the end, that is. The growth of the heroine is followed through well enough, but the author leaves holes everywhere else. I hoped some of the confusion and tangents and development of other characters along the way would lead to some sort of ah-ha moment at the end, but there was nothing.
May 17, 2020
Since the imagery and characters are so fascinating, I feel this novel could have benefitted from more work on the story itself. There are so many different threads of the storyline, it is not clear if they have to do with each other. I read to the end hoping for a satisfying conclusion, but was disappointed. I give it 3 stars because the language is sometimes evocative and the characters so arresting I was rooting for them...but nothing much happened to any of them in the end.
July 12, 2018
Given my recent reading drought the fact that I finished this in two days is a testament to how readable and enjoyable I found it. Karen Jay Fowler is a slick clean kind of writer, who gets the historical pitch right with an occasional rye touch that makes the novel also seem fresh and modern. I’m surprised by the poor ratings it’s got on here. I was intrigued by the 1890s San Francisco setting and the full bodied female characters at its heart: the elusive Mary Ellen Pleasant and the romantically minded Lizzie Hayes. I appreciated the way the novel played with gothic and sensationalist tropes while never losing sight of the underlying social commentary. Maybe it’s because it’s not as brash as We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves? Dare I admit I liked this more.
September 5, 2015
Mysterious and compelling, an examination of gossip and casual racism in 1890s San Francisco. The best book I have read this year.
May 7, 2011
"You can do anything you want. You don't have to be the same person your whole life."
I really liked this tale focusing on the elite of early San Francisco in the mid 1800s. Fowler writes of Lizzie Hayes, an unmarried well off woman who works as the treasurer for a white orphanage, the Brown Ark; and Mary Ellen Pleasant, a wealthy Black woman who has everyone in the Bay Area wrapped around her finger. One day, Mary Ellen drops off Jenny Ijub, a young child who she claims came from a rich family who was swept out to sea. The story goes on to follow Lizzie Hayes as she seeks the truth behind Jenny's roots, while also investigating the mysterious rumors surrounding Mary Ellen's lifestyle and power.
Fowler is great with words, telling this tale in a prose steeped in gentility, but still quite humorous. I had a feeling that Ms. Pleasant would be cast as the "magical negro", what with her having so much power in such a time as this, coupled with rumors of her mysticism and voodoo, but it seems that Fowler did a great job of rooting Mary Ellen's power more so in the mind's of white people, and less a factual truth.
This book was a bit confusing though, with so many characters making unnecessary appearances. By the end, I had no idea of what had happened, or the purpose of the story. I may need to read it again to grasp the point of it all.
Nevertheless, I walked away having enjoyed this story and ready for more by Fowler.
I really liked this tale focusing on the elite of early San Francisco in the mid 1800s. Fowler writes of Lizzie Hayes, an unmarried well off woman who works as the treasurer for a white orphanage, the Brown Ark; and Mary Ellen Pleasant, a wealthy Black woman who has everyone in the Bay Area wrapped around her finger. One day, Mary Ellen drops off Jenny Ijub, a young child who she claims came from a rich family who was swept out to sea. The story goes on to follow Lizzie Hayes as she seeks the truth behind Jenny's roots, while also investigating the mysterious rumors surrounding Mary Ellen's lifestyle and power.
Fowler is great with words, telling this tale in a prose steeped in gentility, but still quite humorous. I had a feeling that Ms. Pleasant would be cast as the "magical negro", what with her having so much power in such a time as this, coupled with rumors of her mysticism and voodoo, but it seems that Fowler did a great job of rooting Mary Ellen's power more so in the mind's of white people, and less a factual truth.
This book was a bit confusing though, with so many characters making unnecessary appearances. By the end, I had no idea of what had happened, or the purpose of the story. I may need to read it again to grasp the point of it all.
Nevertheless, I walked away having enjoyed this story and ready for more by Fowler.
December 30, 2021
3.5 I chose to read this, out of interest, as it has the lowest goodreads rating of all the unread books I own. As someone who tends to pick books with 4+ star ratings, Sister Noon turned out to be a pleasant reminder that reviews aren't everything :) It was a quiet book looking at societal norms, gossip/rumours, reputation, racism and women's place in society all in the setting of 1890s San Francisco. I loved the setting- it was so different to anything I've read before, and the nuances and contradictions of the city were described beautifully. It took me a while to get into the novel, and at first it was just okay. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much if I hadn't listened to a lot of it on audio- this took it from being a drag to a joy! I had read reviews saying there was no plot- and sure nothing massive happens, but there was certainly enough to keep me interested in the day to day small lives and society gossip of the city. I had also read in reviews that the ending was really disappointing and didn't tie together the loose ends. Since I knew this going in, the ending didn't bother me at all. In fact I felt it did tie together the book, just subtlety. Having then read the author's notes on her writing of the book, I see that it did exactly what it set out to do. This isn't a favourite, but one that I'll look back fondly on, and doesn't deserve such a low average rating.
March 28, 2016
I was going to give this book 4 stars until I read the 2 and a half pages that Karen Joy Fowler wrote on her writing if sister noon. It explained a lot and made me realise why she wrote it like she did. I think that she is such an amazing author. The research that goes into her work and the way the reader is completely transported to a different time and place. I really, really enjoyed this book with all its strangeness and ambiguity. Fantastic!!
April 13, 2016
I did enjoy this, but couldn't help feeling that it was a story told from the wrong perspective, in that Lizzie's life only really goes anywhere in the last few pages and Mrs Pleasant's character is far and away the most interesting one in the book. I felt like the book was only just getting started right up until around 85% - every subplot and relationship felt on the brink of developing into something significant when I realised it couldn't, because it was ending. I think you can still detect Fowler's gift for characterisation even in a book so flawed, and it's not that I didn't enjoy reading it, but I think she might have written it too early, and it could have been a much better novel for being longer and better developed.
October 9, 2008
Sister Noon is just a lovely novel from start to finish, a story of growing pains, both Lizzie Hayes's and the city of San Francisco's. Fowler has a wonderful way of drawing characters who aren't larger than life, but are instead every bit as frail and small as everyday, while still being moving and compelling. Lizzie Hayes doesn't start stretching herself until half her life has passed her by, and only has a limited reach, but it's a brave struggle.
June 2, 2012
I found it a little confusing regarding some of the characters. Each time I picked up the book I found myself reviewing what I read previously. I love the references to San Francisco in the 1800's, but a difficult book to follow due to the character development.
March 5, 2009
Wonderful writer, but somehow her endings always leave me dissatisfied. I liked this best of the 3 I've read (Sarah Canary years ago and Wit's End very recently).
November 15, 2016
I just couldn't get into this one.
January 11, 2024
The structure of this is quite unexpected, which I think is why it has such a low rating on Goodreads. The author's intent is not immediately apparent, but upon further consideration, I think it's actually quite clever. To my mind, it's a better version of a well-known book I will not name here for fear of spoiling the experience for future readers. Once you've read it, you'll know what I mean. Maybe.
In addition to being a provocative commentary that makes me wonder how much of what I think I know is really true, Sister Noon is also noteworthy for being a contemporary historical novel in which characters in 1890 actually act like 19th-century people, rather than, as is often the case, what a 21st-century author fancies that she would have done had she lived in the past. There's a lot of great historical detail, too. You might learn some interesting things about 1890s San Francisco.
Lastly, I have to applaud Fowler's unflinching approach in addressing various societal issues of the late 1800s. This is by no means an issue-driven novel, but the gentle bluntness with which Fowler refers to issues we're accustomed to seeing either tiptoed around or presented with ham-handed forcefulness is refreshing, and it also creates a sense that the reader doesn't quite know what to expect and, thus, can't be sure of the limits to what might happen.
In addition to being a provocative commentary that makes me wonder how much of what I think I know is really true, Sister Noon is also noteworthy for being a contemporary historical novel in which characters in 1890 actually act like 19th-century people, rather than, as is often the case, what a 21st-century author fancies that she would have done had she lived in the past. There's a lot of great historical detail, too. You might learn some interesting things about 1890s San Francisco.
Lastly, I have to applaud Fowler's unflinching approach in addressing various societal issues of the late 1800s. This is by no means an issue-driven novel, but the gentle bluntness with which Fowler refers to issues we're accustomed to seeing either tiptoed around or presented with ham-handed forcefulness is refreshing, and it also creates a sense that the reader doesn't quite know what to expect and, thus, can't be sure of the limits to what might happen.
July 23, 2016
"An interesting woman that may have existed."
The description of San Francisco in 1890 is fascinating and so is all the information on the period, but I found the plot to be disappointing as so much of the book is based on rumors and innuendo that it feels slippery and forced to stay together.
Ellen Pleasant.is the main character in the soul of the book, but she also is the mistery almost and amalgamation of a mithical woman; black, white, married, rich, poor, servant, mistres, murderer all of this are posibilities that Lizzie Hayes, a spinster is created to try and descover but in the end it all fades in the fog of time.
It is not a bad book but the fascination with the mystery of Ellen Pleasant.is never enough of a coherent plot, more of a device to explore and interesting character that time and the period she lived in have render but a rumor a phantasm that never becomes solid or alive..
The description of San Francisco in 1890 is fascinating and so is all the information on the period, but I found the plot to be disappointing as so much of the book is based on rumors and innuendo that it feels slippery and forced to stay together.
Ellen Pleasant.is the main character in the soul of the book, but she also is the mistery almost and amalgamation of a mithical woman; black, white, married, rich, poor, servant, mistres, murderer all of this are posibilities that Lizzie Hayes, a spinster is created to try and descover but in the end it all fades in the fog of time.
It is not a bad book but the fascination with the mystery of Ellen Pleasant.is never enough of a coherent plot, more of a device to explore and interesting character that time and the period she lived in have render but a rumor a phantasm that never becomes solid or alive..
March 18, 2016
I love this woman's writing and the stories she chooses to tell! Like "Sarah Canary," this novel gives the historian in me lots to think about. It offers the perspective of the outsiders in history. It says that to know about the past we must take the word of people long dead, people we cannot question. People say contradictory things about other people, especially a person who does not fit the mold. "The truth might look like a story. A lie might outlast a fact." Things that were never proved are passed along and become history. All this is told in a story that made me laugh and cry. What a wonderful author!
October 23, 2017
The language was lyrical. At times poetic and reason enough to read the book once. The book has wonderful historical facts. The problem for me- too many characters. Many not intregal to the storyline or plot to keep track of. I knew we were in trouble, when there were just a few pages left and the story was not going to wrap up except for one or two characters. We were just left hanging, as if the author got tired of writing the book. One thing I truly appreciated about the book was it's accurate portrayal of a migrainer.
October 1, 2018
Some really exceptional writing, but as a whole this didn't come into focus for me (which to be honest could be because a lot of it depends on remembering a bunch of people who might or might not have had children and who also have changed their names and I'm not sure I have the bit of your brain that tracks that kind of thing).
November 19, 2010
My favorite of Fowler's books so far. I'm usually much more of a plot person, but her words are just fun to read. The way she writes makes the littlest thing seem interesting.
July 1, 2017
A real genre buster! Interesting characters and some great descriptions of San Francisco 1850-1900, complete with prostitutes and the gold rush population. But, not straightforward historical fiction. It's also supernatural, full of social comment and satirical. But...too 'clever' and at times, bewildering; unforgivable really to confuse your reader.
January 17, 2019
Really enjoyed this. It's historical fiction and based on real people. It's part mystery/part historic and it's beautifully written. It jumps about a little but an utter joy.
January 23, 2020
It was a lovely, nothing really happens story. I really liked Lizzie and could identify with her.
November 24, 2021
I really enjoyed the writing but was sort of confused by the story. I almost gave up at page 136, when nothing much had happened yet, and the "magical juncture" seemed really strange. I'm glad I stuck with it, but I wished I had read the author's note in the back before actually starting the book. It made SO much more sense. If you know San Francisco at all, you'll recognize a lot of the city in these pages. Not sure I'd recommend this book, but I *will* try other titles by this author.
July 30, 2023
Extraordinary. 1890s San Francisco was a new setting for me, and Fowler has a magical ability to keep changing angles and revealing new secrets/perspectives on this fantastical corrupt town. Lot of racial and sexual ugliness in this era that Fowler faces head on with confidence and without soapboxing. If you'd simply described the plot to me I'd have winced in fear of caricatures, but in practice everything was grounded and believable. I really am just astounded by how good it was, the narrative moving briskly with empathy but not pity or excuse. Highly, highly recommended.
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February 3, 2025No stars. A rare DNF for me. Disjointed and plot-less.
July 5, 2018
Unlike any other book I’ve read before
February 22, 2022
In 1890 San Francisco, Lizzie is a member of the wealthy class, though her choice to remain a spinster makes her vaguely suspect in fashionable society. Through her volunteer work at a home for women and children in need, Lizzie crosses paths with the mysterious Mary Ellen Pleasant. Mrs. Pleasant asks the home to take in a small girl whose origins are also shrouded in rumor, and Lizzie grows curious about both of them. As Lizzie investigates, she keeps running up against strange events, disturbing questions, and the tiresome forces of so-called polite society.
Several characters in this novel are real figures, including Mary Ellen Pleasant, who gained prominence in early San Francisco while passing as a white woman but later revealed herself to be black. Fowler embraces the wild, contradictory histories of Pleasant and the others, telling different versions throughout the novel in entertaining detail. Lizzie and the rest of the fictional characters are just as richly, delightfully drawn, with Fowler's wry humor frequently on display. There's a mystery at the heart of this novel, and some exciting antics drive the plot forward, but much of the story focuses on the nuances of how people treat each other in the name of propriety. It might be accurate to call SISTER NOON a comedy of manners, and I'd definitely call it one of Fowler's best.
Several characters in this novel are real figures, including Mary Ellen Pleasant, who gained prominence in early San Francisco while passing as a white woman but later revealed herself to be black. Fowler embraces the wild, contradictory histories of Pleasant and the others, telling different versions throughout the novel in entertaining detail. Lizzie and the rest of the fictional characters are just as richly, delightfully drawn, with Fowler's wry humor frequently on display. There's a mystery at the heart of this novel, and some exciting antics drive the plot forward, but much of the story focuses on the nuances of how people treat each other in the name of propriety. It might be accurate to call SISTER NOON a comedy of manners, and I'd definitely call it one of Fowler's best.
August 5, 2015
It is said that a good book is one where the reader feels an involvement with the characters in the story, Karen Joy Fowler does just that in this novel set in San Francisco in the late 19th century . I am not a fan of period or historical novels but really enjoyed this portrayal of life in which San Francisco plays as big a role as the two main characters, Lizzie Hayes, a spinster in her early forties and Mary Ellen Pleasant. The latter being of dubious parentage – a coloured woman claiming to be white – that alone is enough to make the story interesting . Lizzie is the treasurer and fundraiser at a children’s home with a threat of having her income stopped if she ever marries – a stipulation of her father’s will.
From the time that Mrs Pleasant leaves Jenny , a small dark haired, dark eyed child, to be cared for at the home , Lizzie feels things becoming a bit out of control.
K J Fowler is a difficult writer to review , I love her lyrical descriptive prose but this book is very short on plot. I am also ambivalent about the ending because I thought there would be more.
From the time that Mrs Pleasant leaves Jenny , a small dark haired, dark eyed child, to be cared for at the home , Lizzie feels things becoming a bit out of control.
K J Fowler is a difficult writer to review , I love her lyrical descriptive prose but this book is very short on plot. I am also ambivalent about the ending because I thought there would be more.
June 28, 2007
Set in San Francisco, this novel held some historical fascination for me. I thought that Karen Fowler, the author, did an excellent job calling out the prejudices and expectations women rarely face today. Known as a liberal city today, it is hard to imagine SF as a place where intolerance is commonplace.
There were some holes left in the story, such as what happens to Mrs. Pleasant and what her story really is. But I could relate to Lizzie's disconnection from a changing society in which a single woman in her 30's is an "old maid" and ambition and curiosity in social circles must be tread upon lightly or endure being outcast.
The title, Sister Noon, is not explained until over halfway through the novel and even then, it goes no further. It seems to spur Lizzie into making some decisions about her life but does not make her or Jenny any more compelling in the context of the story.
There were some holes left in the story, such as what happens to Mrs. Pleasant and what her story really is. But I could relate to Lizzie's disconnection from a changing society in which a single woman in her 30's is an "old maid" and ambition and curiosity in social circles must be tread upon lightly or endure being outcast.
The title, Sister Noon, is not explained until over halfway through the novel and even then, it goes no further. It seems to spur Lizzie into making some decisions about her life but does not make her or Jenny any more compelling in the context of the story.
October 1, 2008
This was a difficult book to follow. Had I not met the author at a writer's retreat and known, first-hand, her fine mind, I might have given up after a few chapters. But she is so very excellent at developing her characters that gradually, very gradually, she sucked me in to the story.
It is a tale of class and race set in the late 19th century in San Francisco. The heroine, Lizzie Hayes, has enough flaws to be interesting, but the truly intriguing character is the mysterious Mary Ellen Pleasant, who seems to know and control everything that goes on in the city.
It's interesting that this same author penned "The Jane Austen Book Club," an entirely different book in setting and time and, even, style. But if you are interested in historical fiction, I doubt you will find a better book to give you an understanding of early San Francisco history. Even if she hadn't shared her experience in researching "Sister Noon," her study is self-evident.
It is a tale of class and race set in the late 19th century in San Francisco. The heroine, Lizzie Hayes, has enough flaws to be interesting, but the truly intriguing character is the mysterious Mary Ellen Pleasant, who seems to know and control everything that goes on in the city.
It's interesting that this same author penned "The Jane Austen Book Club," an entirely different book in setting and time and, even, style. But if you are interested in historical fiction, I doubt you will find a better book to give you an understanding of early San Francisco history. Even if she hadn't shared her experience in researching "Sister Noon," her study is self-evident.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews