The Queen of Sleepy Eye [Paperback]

Patti Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

En route to college in the summer of 1975, sensible seventeen-year-old Amy gets stuck in smalltown Colorado when the 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Sports Coupe driven by her insufferable tiara-toting mom, Francie—former Queen of the Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, Corn Festival—surrenders to a mortally wounded transmission.

It doesn’t take long to realize that thirty-three-year-old Francie is out of money and in no hurry to let go of her daughter, so the two unpack indefinitely. Amy finds work at a funeral home, a place where her unlikely Christian faith can work itself out among the town’s young and old, geeks and jocks, hippies and clergy alike.

Trying not to judge her mom’s serial boyfriend escapades, Amy ends up in a tragic love triangle herself which gives both mother and daughter the chance to do some real growing up. But in a surprise twist, their road to healing still has many miles to go in 2008 as they travel back to Sleepy Eye in that old ’58 coupe.

Endorsements:

“The Queen of Sleepy Eye is written with exquisite depth of character . . . a fantastic story.”

—Hannah Alexander, author of the Hideaway series

“Few stories are able to balance both the crushing cost of sin and the transforming power of grace. The Queen of Sleepy Eye succeeds brilliantly. The author invites us on a journey with complex characters so real that we cry when they fail and rejoice when they reveal brilliant glimpses of God at work in their hearts. Patti Hill crafts each word with beauty and artistry, enhancing this poignant tale of regret and redemption.”

—Sharon Hinck, author of Symphony of Secrets and Renovating Becky Miller

“This book captured me from the first page! In every way, it’s a keeper—from the eloquent writing to the rich cast of characters that breathe life into this coming-of-age tale. But it’s more than just a story about growing up; it’s about life and loss, love and forgiveness, and discovering that there is more to the world than what we see. You’ll love The Queen of Sleepy Eye!”

—Susan May Warren, author of Taming Rafe

“Quirky yet powerfully emotional. Amy’s mother is outrageous, but it is also poignant how her daughter strives to understand her. This novel is a gem for all women's fiction lovers!”

—Camy Tang, author of Only Uni and Single Sashimi

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patti Hill, after years of raising children and then joyfully teaching elementary school, finally took her long-ago college English professor’s advice ("You should be a writer") and fulfilled the dream of having her first novel published to wide acclaim in 2005. She writes almost every day now and lives with her husband in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: B&H Fiction (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805447504
• ISBN-13: 978-0805447507
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

It took me a while to develop the moxy to invite folks to read my writing. Actually, the painful and stomach-churning incident was forced on me by my creative writing professor in college, part deux. Being a teacher for four years toughened me up, so I decided to give novel writing a go. My first book, Like a Watered Garden, was published Jan. 2005 and Always Green followed in July. The third book, and the most challenging one to write, In Every Flower, comes out this fall. My editor at Bethany House had a little trouble convincing the publishing committee to look seriously at my first novel. "It's a story about a widow that makes you laugh a lot," she told them. I'm very thankful they gave me a chance.

What's next? I like to give my books a strong sense of place, so I'm starting research on an early 20th century story about southern Orange County, where I lived before moving to Colorado. At least, that's what I think I'm tackling. First, I'll have to wiggle my toes in the sand of San Clemente for some meaningful research.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faith filled chick lit with depth and heart, August 19, 2008

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Queen of Sleepy Eye (Paperback)

The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill is a stand out book about the relationship between mother and daughter as well as faith of the heart instead of faith of the head. It's 1975, and Amy Montiero is finally breaking free from her mother Francie by going to college in California. But on the drive out there from Illinois, Francie gets sidetracked in the little town of Cordial, Colorado, and before Amy can say "Help!", she's working for the summer at a funeral home and trying to come up with another escape plan while Francie flirts her way through town. Amy is a fantastically three dimensional character. She's firm in her faith, until she starts visiting a hippie community where a handsome man named Falcon plies his trade making stained glass windows. He challenges her notions of what Christianity means and awakens feelings Amy was certain she knew how to control. Amy lives her life believing that her faith puts her above everyone else. She tolerates her mother's frequent failings, she shakes her head in disgust at the rigidity at the old ladies in the local church, and takes on a hippie family and an elderly widow as charity projects. Cracks start to show in her facade when first her best friend from home commits a sin Amy can't forgive, then a good friend is killed, bringing Amy to discover sin in her own heart. Hill writes Amy with compassion and humor. You can't help but love both her and Francie. The story is bookended with chapters about Amy and Francie 30 years later returning a stolen car. The two stories seem disconnected until Amy reaches out her hand in forgiveness and love to someone who least deserves it, offering up the grace she had learned so many years ago. Put this book on your must read list; it's a real winner!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read with wide, open eyes, February 25, 2009

By 

Cheryl Koch (CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Queen of Sleepy Eye (Paperback)

It was the summer of 1975.

Maria Amelia Casimiro Monterio "Amy" for short and her mother Francie, a former beauty queen of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota decide to take a road trip. Amy thought they were heading to sunny Santa Barbara, California. Boy was she ever in for a surprise.

With not much luggage or a care in the world. Amy and her mother head for the open road in a 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Sport Coupe Jubilee in mint condition. The car looked like it had just come off the assembly line it was in that great a shape. With the wind in their hair, Amy and Francie said good-bye to Sleepy Eye for the last time.

Suddenly the transmission blows. With no money to repair the car. Amy and her mother settle down in the town of Cordial, Colorado. Amy can't help but suspect of her mom of planning this all along. What would all of a sudden the transmission go on a vehicle that is in perfect condition? Amy doesn't have much time to ponder that as she will be busy getting really familiar... literally with the residents of Cordial. Francie finds a place for them to stay, which just happens to be a mortician house. The question now is what secret is Francie hiding and will Amy be able to handle the truth?

The Queen of Sleepy Eye is the first book I have read by Mrs. Hill. I thought this novel was good. The storyline as well as the characters had this fun upbeat, I want to get to know you better attitude. What I liked is that both Amy and Francie grew up that summer and discovered their heart's desires. It was harder for Francie to grow up then it was Amy. I mean can you imagine that after all these years; Francie still has her tiara and sash. She tells everyone she knows that she was the former queen of Sleepy Eye. I am so pleased to have discovered a new Christian author. Some of my favorite authors are Christian writers likes Janette Oke, Beverly Lewis, and Dorothy Garlock to name a few. I am proud to add Patti Hill to this list of famous authors. I plan to check out Mrs. Hill's other novels.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected, October 27, 2008

By 

R. A. Taylor "avid reader" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Queen of Sleepy Eye (Paperback)

The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill was a disappointment. I received this book for free through an on-line book group. In a brief description of the book, no mention was made that it was Christian fiction. Although I have read other Christian fiction and enjoyed it very much, this book had just a bit too much proselytizing.

This is the story of Amy, a 17-year-old, and her mother Francie on their way to California in the 1970s, where Amy will start college on a scholarship. They become stuck in Cordial, Colorado with car trouble. Francie finds a home for them in the local funeral home where Amy ends up doing all the work while her mother gets a job as a cashier elsewhere. There was very little about this story that rang true. Amy seemed to have very little awareness of the outside world. She was, however, extremely judgmental about those around her. At any point where I might have become interested in the story, Amy turned to the scriptures. For all her proselytizing, I never got the impression she herself learned much from her faith. I have read other Christian fiction and enjoyed it very much. The message of faith in those books was a lot more subtle and did not leave me feeling I was being beaten over the head.

Ms. Hill writes very well and this was a very easy read. I enjoyed the character of H and his development. His desire to be accepted by his peers rang true and made him easy to identify with. Although many potentially interesting characters were introduced into the story, the stories never went anywhere and most threads were just left dangling at the end. In my opinion, a much more interesting story could have been written about Amy's time after she left Cordial, finally arriving in California and going to college.