Invisible...and no one seemed to notice.
Have you ever felt unappreciated, unimportant...invisible? Now imagine waking up one morning, looking at yourself in the mirror, only to find your face is not looking back. Literally.
Such is the story of Clover, who finds herself literally, and figuratively, invisible. Her best friend, Gilda, and her mother-in-law both notice, and give her encouragement and support. Her husband and children, on the other hand, are so wrapped up in their own lives and trials they don't notice. I feel like I need to repeat that...her husband and her adult children did not notice that she was nothing but pants and a shirt walking around their house!
In fact, Clover was not sure how long she had been invisible herself, which did not seemed all that far-fetched to me. Sure, I look at myself for five minutes in the morning to brush my hair and throw on some mascara, but it's not unrealistic for me to not look in the mirror again until the following morning. The more I thought about that, the more I wondered. How much attention do I pay to myself? How much attention to I pay to others? How long would it take me to notice my own invisibility? How long would it take me to believe it?
I was so afraid that this book was going to become weepy and sentimental, but Jeanne Ray managed to give us a realistic portrait of this woman who not only became invisible on an intellectual and material level, but she became invisible to herself. For some reason, I found this easier to accept once I learned there was a scientific explanation - and not a sentimental one (even though they are closely related). Her literal, scientific invisibility became her wake-up call. Once Clover was able to find her path, she became a bit of a superhero.
My hope is that CALLING INVISIBLE WOMEN makes its way to book clubs everywhere. More than a quick read, this book is thought-provoking and poignant.
Book Extras:
Random House book page
Excerpt of CALLING INVISIBLE WOMEN
About the Book:
Jeanne Ray is the mother of novelist Ann Patchett and has written six novels. She published her first novel, Julie & Romeo, at the age of 60. She continues to inspire women to find their voices, follow their passions and become truly visible.
*Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher
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