Maureen Aitken - Patron Saint of Lost Girls - Virtual Book Tour

Literary Fiction / Short Story Collection

Date Published: 09-16-2025

Publisher: Wayne State University Press

In 1970s and '80s Detroit, the city wrestles with an unending economic downturn, increasing violence, and white exodus to the suburbs. Amid all of this is twentysomething Mary who is just trying to grapple with her identity in a world filled with uncertainty.

In this collection of linked stories, we follow Mary as she seeks to cope with and withstand hardship and confront her fears of exploitation, abuse, and death. Along the way, she delves into the complex yet nurturing relationships with her family and friends who teach her to love better, live fuller, and question power. The Patron Saint of Lost Girls presents an unflinching tale of life in the late twentieth-century postindustrial Midwest.

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Virtual Book Tour - September 22 - October 10

September 22 - RABT Book Tours - Kick Off

September 23 - Nana's Book Reviews - Spotlight

September 24 - Always Reading - Excerpt

September 25 - A Life Through Books - Interview

September 26 - Book Reviews by Virginia Lee - Spotlight

September 29 - Crossroad Reviews - Spotlight

September 30 - The Avid Reader - Interview

October 1 - Tea Time and Books - Spotlight

October 2 - Book Junkiez - Excerpt

October 3 - Book Corner News and Reviews - Spotlight

October 6 - Liliyana Shadowlyn - Spotlight

October 7 - Momma and Her Stories- Excerpt

October 8 - The Faerie Review - Spotlight

October 9 - My Reading Addiction - Interview

October 10 - RABT Reviews - Wrap Up

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Maureen Aitken’s short-story collection, The Patron Saint of Lost Girls, received a Kirkus star, the Nilsen Prize, and the Foreword Review INDIE Gold Prize for General Fiction. It will be reissued in September, 2025 by Wayne State University Press. Her stories have earned a Minnesota State Arts Board’s Artist Initiative Grant, a Loft Mentor Award, an award from Ireland’s Fish Short Story Prize, and two Pushcart Prize nominations. It was also nominated for a Minnesota Book Award. Her stories have been published in Prairie Schooner and New Letters, among others. This is her second story featured in The Missouri Review’s Blast section.

Contact Links

Website: www.maureenaitken.com

Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228174226-the-patron-saint-of-lost-girls

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/maureentaitken

Purchase Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patron-Saint-Girls-Michigan-Writer/dp/0814352464/

Giveaway

$5 Amazon Gift Card

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