Randy Ribay has written such a great story that takes the reader from the American Midwest to Manila to the Manila Slums and finally to the beautiful countryside/mountainside and small villages of the Philippines. And what a natural and insightful journey it was with Jay as a tour guide through a world that is foreign to even him. We learn, as he learns, that life in a foreign land does not exactly reflect life in our own respective countries and that we should look beyond our own domestic issues and understand what is happening in foreign countries to people who are simply humans, just like us. This book was my first from Ribay as well as my first real look into the culture, lifestyle and politics of the Philippines and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction in regards to all of these aspects. Patron Saints of Nothing is a compelling, insightful, diverse and most of all enjoyable read! I would recommend this story to all readers looking for something relatable, teachable, and/or eye-opening. I really enjoyed Ribay's writing style and story-telling in this work, it had me invested from the very beginning. I will be reading this again, as well as After The Shot Drops, An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes and some short stories also written by Ribay