Review: Invisible, Part 3

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them."

Genesis 1:27

 

"Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering."

- Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine

I love to read from the writings of men and women of faith who have gone before us, so I've been intrigued at how Ginny draws so successfully from both Madame Jeanne Guyon in her second book, Lost and Found, and from Saint Augustine in Invisible.  I contacted Ginny and she was gracious to take the time to explain her thoughts . . .
 
Ginny Yttrup:  "I really didn’t like Saint Augustine at first! He seemed like a gluttonous womanizer. But I stumbled upon a quote of his that was so enlightening that it tumbled around in my brain and I couldn’t seem to let it go. The quote is listed, along with two verses, in the beginning of Invisible."  (Quoted above)

"I finally picked up his life story—Confessions—and read it. Mind you, this man lived in the fourth century, so I was certain I’d feel no connection to him. But as I read his confession—the sins he struggled with and his transformation through Jesus Christ—I felt like I’d met a soul mate. People are the same through the ages. We are created in the image of God and we live in a fallen world and struggle against our sin nature. We are all the same—uniquely made—but our struggle and, for Christians, our salvation through Christ, is universal. I think if we accepted that fact more readily, we’d see less prejudice in our society."

"Enable me to love you with all my strength

that I may clasp your hand with all my heart."

- Saint Augustine

Ginny:  "I suggested the idea of pairing one of the "mystics" with my novels to my agent and my editor before I began writing Lost and Found. I decided I'd do at least three books this way. The third book, Flames, (2/1/14) is paired with Julian of Norwich."

"I've done something a bit different with each one... Madame Jeanne Guyon's life story was the foundation of Lost and Found. I took many elements from Guyon's life and put them into the contemporary setting of Lost and Found."

"With Invisible, I came across the Augustine quote I used in the beginning of the book and fell in love with it! It fit so well with the story I wanted to write. The Augustine quotes and Invisible were symbiotic. Sometimes I'd read a quote and it would direct the chapter I was writing, other times I'd write a chapter and then look for a quote that fit."

"The house of my soul is too small for You to come to it.

May it be enlarged by You. It is in ruins: restore it."

- Saint Augustine

Ginny:  "I'm rarely asked about the classics I quote. But every once in awhile, someone will ask what you've asked, or I'll receive an email saying after reading my novel, they've read the classic I quoted. I love that! There is so much to be learned from those who've gone before us."
 

"Our heart is restless until it rests in you." 

- Saint Augustine

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,

be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

1 Timothy 1:17

 

__________________________

Review of Invisible, Part 2:  http://bit.ly/10CGhok
Review of Invisible, Part 1:  http://bit.ly/XiY5pV

I appreciate Ginny's enthusiasm and the time she took in answering my questions. I highly recommended Invisible for all readers.

Ginny Yttrup

Learn more about Ginny Yttrup and her books at ginnyyttrup.com

This book was provided by B&H Publishing Group through the author and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Invisible, Part 2

With her third novel, Ginny Yttrup has again written a rich, character-driven story that entertains, inspires, and draws the occasional smile or tear.  The struggles of three women who, on the surface, seem to have nothing in common and would therefore be unlikely candidates for close friendship, are successfully woven throughout this narrative set in the beautiful coastal area of Mendocino, California.  The title gives voice to the desire each woman has for invisibility, which can be traced back to some form of emotional trauma in her background.


Summary

Ellyn DeMoss -- chef, café owner, and lover of butter -- is hiding behind a layer of fat. But what is she hiding? While Ellyn sees the good in others, she has only condemnation for herself. So when a handsome widower claims he’s attracted to Ellyn, she’s certain there’s something wrong with him.

Sabina Jackson -- tall, slender, and exotic -- left her husband, young adult daughters, and a thriving counseling practice to spend a year in Northern California where she says she’s come to heal. But it seems to Ellyn that Sabina’s doing more hiding than healing. What’s she hiding from? Is it God?

Twila Boaz has come out of hiding and is working to gain back the pounds she lost when her only goal was to disappear. When her eating disorder is triggered again, though she longs to hide, she instead follows God and fights for her own survival. But will she succeed?

As these women’s lives intertwine, their eyes open to the glory within each of them as they begin to recognize themselves as being created in God’s image.


My thoughts

Let me begin by saying that Ginny Yttrup ranks among my favorites when it comes to the ability to write rich, multi-layered, character-driven novels with an emotional impact.  As I began reading Invisible, I thought that yes, it was very good, but not quite up to the standard of her previous novel, Lost and Found, which wowed me.  That initial impression has completely changed, however.  These two novels are different in their approach to the various life issues they deal with, but each is equally memorable in its own way and will stay with me for a long time.  Ginny's novels are also of "read again" quality for me.

Mendocino, California

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).  "Imago Dei" is the overarching theme that runs throughout Invisible.  What does it truly mean to be created in the image of God?  Do we see ourselves through God's eyes, or do we have a distorted picture of ourselves, colored by events of the past or what we think others see?

Twila is a woman of deep faith, and believes that God has given her the heart, as well as the experience, to help people in pain.  She has "Imago Dei" tattooed on her wrist as an ever-present reminder, and at one point shares a Saint Augustine quote with Ellyn:  "Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering."  She goes on to explain, "We sometimes miss seeing Him in the most important thing He created. Us. God sees our inner beauty - the condition of our hearts."

Ellyn is a truly engaging character with a great sense of humor, yet she allows her weight to convince her that she is unworthy of love.  "With the last bite of the last croissant in the bag, a small voice whispers in my mind. Or maybe in my heart. You don't love food more than you love Me, Ellyn. You trust food more than you trust Me."

And then there's Sabina, trying to hide from guilt over the death of a counseling patient, and an even more consuming guilt that goes back to her childhood.  Ginny brings a love for classical music into Sabina's character, which I can relate to as a musician myself.  Referring to the San Francisco Symphony's Classical Series, Sabina reflects, "I am like the harsh dissonance - lacking harmony with myself. I am the incomplete chord unwilling to resolve itself."



Ellyn lives in a water tower

Ginny has set Invisible in the beautiful Pacific coastal area of Mendocino, and made it an integral part of the story - for how can one see the majesty of God's creation without seeing Him?  One of my favorite scenes, actually reminiscent of the Napa Valley communion scene in Lost and Found, is when Sabina returns to a woodland cathedral close to the bluffs that Ellyn had previously shown her.  Here Sabina finally surrenders her guilt to God, acknowledging her "arrogance in blaming myself for something only God has the power to control."  This is a long, but beautiful quote from that experience:

"God, the creator of the universe, of the magnificence surrounding me, has called me to Himself.  I was, I am, without excuse. I will resist no longer. He invades my opening soul. . . . Shame is no more. Guilt is replaced by grace. . . . And then I hear my mama's sweet soprano in my mind, singing the words of her favorite hymn:

Come home, come home,

Ye who are weary, come home;

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling, O sinner, come home!

Today, God has called me home. Not to eternity - not yet - but home to His lap, where my mother prayed I'd stay for all my years."

Do I recommend Invisible?  Highly.  Those who struggle or have struggled in the past with life issues will be encouraged by this book.  But this book really speaks to every reader.  Invisible is not about weight issues or health issues—it’s about freedom.

Learn more about Ginny and her books at ginnyyttrup.com

 


Agate Cove Inn

This book was provided by B&H Publishing Group through the author and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Invisible, Part 1

 

 

With Invisible, Ginny Yttrup's third book, she has again succeeded at writing a rich, character-driven novel that both entertains and inspires.  I am privileged to be on her launch team for Invisible, which released today.Liz Curtis Higgs gives this endorsement:

"Her writing is fresh, winsome, and deeply spiritual. Faith isn’t merely a thread woven through the story; faith is the fabric upon which Invisible is stitched with a loving hand. Healing and hope can be found among these pages–not only for each character, but for the reader as well."

The following interview with Ginny was originally posted on the Christian Retailing website at http://bit.ly/14JJfNF.

 

What are the premise and theme of Invisible? 

 

Invisible is the story of three women, each hiding from themselves and others. Ellyn, a chef, has spent her life hiding behind a layer of extra weight; Sabina, a counselor, is hiding behind a wall of grief; and Twila is wasting away as she struggles with anorexia—she wants to disappear, literally. As the women are drawn together and their lives intertwine, they begin to see themselves in one another and come to recognize themselves as the beautiful creations they are.

The overarching theme of Invisible is freedom, which the characters enjoy once they accept themselves as ones created in the image of God. Embracing that truth frees the characters, and us, to focus on the glory of God living within us, rather than on our human flaws.


Why did you write Invisible?

I wrote this story because I am 5-foot, 1-inch and weigh 100-and-too-many pounds, according to the cultural standard. I wrote Invisible because for much of my life, I didn’t feel as though I fit in, or even that anyone could possibly find me attractive, and therefore, I wished I was invisible. I wrote this story because last year, when I turned 49, I realized and accepted, for the first time, that I am created in the image of God! And that blew me away!

I’ve heard theologians say that our souls are created in the image of God, not our bodies. Maybe that’s true—I’m not a theologian. But I was knit together in my mother’s womb by a loving and creative God who tells me in His Word that I’m created in His image—His Word also tells me that as a believer, I have His Spirit living within me. Wow! When I considered the truth of those facts, it became difficult to look in the mirror and complain any longer. There is so much more to me than the reflection staring back at me.

Ellyn makes a statement in Invisible that she’s never looked in the mirror and seen the image of God. From my experience, I don’t think Ellyn is alone. Nor was I alone in the struggle I battled for 49 years. My prayer is that readers will come away from Invisible seeing themselves as ones created in the image of God and will embrace all that means.

 

 

 

 

How is this an example of what has been called “Issues Fiction”?

 

One of the prevalent issues of our American culture is the notion that the models and actors we see splashed across magazine covers and movie screens represent an ideal image of beauty and body shape. As women, we often struggle because the ideal is often impossible to attain. We compare ourselves and then wonder, What’s wrong with me?

 

What research did you conduct to write on these issues?

I researched anorexia nervosa first on the Internet and then by talking with women who’ve struggled with that eating disorder. I researched other eating disorders and was interested when I noticed a common thread that seemed to run through all of them—whether it was eating too much or too little. I also used my own experience as a woman who has struggled with my own body image and weight for most of my life. Then I studied grief and its varying stages. Finally, as I do with each of my books, I had a wise Christian counselor read the manuscript to make certain I portrayed the psychological issues in a believable manner.

For Invisible, I was blessed to have Marilyn Meberg, counselor, author and speaker for Women of Faith, read the manuscript and offer her psychological insight and, ultimately, her endorsement. I also had the extreme privilege of consulting with novelist and speaker Liz Curtis Higgs as I wrote. Liz, a “big, beautiful woman,” as she refers to herself, advised me on how Ellyn might feel. Liz also wanted to make certain Invisible wasn’t offensive to large women in any way, which was precisely what I wanted to avoid. Large or small, we’re all created in the image of God!

 

 

Threads of the characters’ conversations weave together in a way that ministers to each of them specifically. Why did you choose this approach?

I hope that through the relationships I portrayed in Invisible, the reader sees a picture of the way the body of Christ works at its best. God works in and through each of us and touches the lives of those He places in our paths.

 

Who will connect with this story?

Readers who’ve struggled with their own body image or an eating disorder will connect with Invisible.  Also anyone who has fallen in love or anyone who has grieved the loss of a loved one will connect with Invisible. Finally, anyone who enjoys a good story—a story of transformation, restoration and romance—will connect with Invisible.

 

Learn more about Ginny at her website, ginnyyttrup.com.

Link to Amazon purchase:  http://amzn.to/YPaAK5