Calling Invisible Women: a Review and a Giveaway

If Ari Seth Cohen’s book Advanced Style, which I wrote about on MidLife-Beauty, is out and out in-your-face about the invisibility of older women, Jeanne Ray’s novel, Calling Invisible Women, is the gentle magic realism version.  Ray, a bestselling New York Times author, has penned a contender for the beach book MidLifeBloggers will take on vacation.

It’s a fantasy tale (or is it?) about a group of women who have been rendered invisible by the combination of three common menopausal medications.  How they deal with their invisibility–and how they deal with the drug company whose greed created the problem drugs in the first place is the gist of the story.  It’s funny; it’s well-written; and considering the Big Pharma headlines these days, it’s not a little scary.

You know how picky I am about fiction, but I agree with the Kirkus Review of the book, which was published in May:

Ray’s novel could have easily slipped into a series of jokes, but suitably she creates substantial characters for this whimsy. Though the novel has a softer bite than the best satires (Fay Weldon’s, for one), it offers a lot of witty charm.

Lucky us, Crown Publishers and Random House have offered to send one MidLifeBlogger their own copy of Calling Invisible Women.  Here’s what you have to do to qualify for this giveaway:

1. Comments, we love comments.  So, yes, you must tell us in your comment what  you think about the issue of aging and invisibility.  Have you ever felt invisible?  When?  With who?  What did you do about it?

2. Go like us on Facebook.

That’s it.  Two tasks and the chance to receive a free copy of the book is yours.  Contest ends at midnight next Friday, June 29, 2012.  I’ll notify the winner and with any luck, you’ll have your copy in time for your summer vacation.

Or you can buy the book here.

And the lucky winner is:  Michelle Annette.  Congratulations, Michelle–let us know what you thought of Calling Invisible Women.

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  • Corinna

    I notice the arrogance of youth around me more and more as I age. The most fascinating middle-aged people in the office are ignored by the younger folk. The point is, they don’t really care if you went to the moon with Mick Jagger, they are more riveted by what their friends did last night. Nothing holds credibility unless it’s said by the young and attractive. I remember — people used to be riveted by everything I said. Now I know I wasn’t that interesting, just attractive. On the flip side, my friendships, family relationships and sense of self have become so much richer and more fulfilling that I would never go back. Invisibility brings a certain degree of freedom once you let go of your ego’s desire for the wrong kind of attention.

  • Joyce Gearhart

    As my hair began to gray, I found myselt being overlooked and comments addressed to the person behind me. I wanted to shout, “Am I invisible?”
    I found it humorous initially, but i sensed a pattern. The book sounds lilke a mustg read!!!

  • Michelle Annette

    I am a stay at home mom who is just expected to cook and clean by my kids and husband, sometimes this makes me feel invisible to them. Don’t get me wrong I love my job, but it can be a thankless position that makes you feel very invisible.

  • http://remarkablewrinklies.com/2008/its-good-to-be-invisible/ Patti Winker

    Are you kidding me? This is incredible! I wrote a blog post about being invisible after a “certain age.” I take my invisibility as a much needed break from the ridiculously time-consuming need to care about other people… there needs, their thoughts. I don’t have the desire or the energy to emotionally primp and preen anymore.

    When we are invisible, we are relieved of our need to “give a damn” and become firmly planted, once again, just like when we were 2 years old, in our autonomy. It’s so freeing, and it may be necessary re-learning ‘invisibility’ as we age. Invisibility teaches us many things, and frees us to age in our own skin and in our own way.

    Thank you so much for this. I’ve got a vacation coming up and this will be the book of choice!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=569617891 Shani Ferguson

    Invisibility can be lonely, but it can also be empowering. Stealth can be useful.

  • http://injaynesworld.blogspot.com/ Jayne

    And I’ve “liked” your Facebook page.

  • http://injaynesworld.blogspot.com/ Jayne

    Most of the time, I don’t mind invisibility at all. And for those times when I do want to be noticed, I simply flip that switch. I believe we get back exactly what we put out and we make those choices with everyone we encounter. I’d love to have a copy of this book.

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