The Invisible Women's Club by Helen Paris

 

Janet Pimm lives a quiet and lonely life. At 72 her life revolves around routines and her beloved allotment. When the council declare a bio-hazard on the land and it looks as if the allotments will be repossessed and sold to a property developer Janet decides to take matters into her own hands.

My preferred genre is obviously thrillers but I do enjoy something a little lighter now and again as a break from my usual reading material. When I looked back at my recent reads it turns out I haven't read anything but thrillers since early January so I really was in need of a "palate cleanser". When I read the blurb for The Invisible Women's Club from Helen Paris it sounded as if it would be the perfect antidote.

The first chapter really didn't grab me, the language seemed a little stuffy and Janet Pimm is not a likeable character. She's 72 years old, set in her ways, very opinionated and stand-offish. Life revolves around her plot at the local allotments and her cherished plants. While many of the other allotmenteers are friendly towards each other, Janet keeps her distance.

Not one to give up on a book after just one chapter I persevered, and I'm so glad I did. This is a wonderful story that fills you with pride, indignation and joy. This is a story mainly about one woman but it encompass so much more. We learn all about Janet's life, her struggles with misogyny, the loss of a child and a cheating husband, to name just a few things. This is a story that will resonate with so many women.

There is a slight thriller element to the story-line. Janet refuses to accept the council's findings and sets out to prove them wrong. We discover that Janet is a formidable character who can turn her hand to almost anything. There are strong echos of the Suffragette movement and the resilience of people during WWII.

There are some wonderful supporting characters. Bev, Janet's neighbour, is a force of nature. It's thanks to Bev's perseverance that Janet comes out of her shell. Together they are determined that they will no longer be overlooked or undervalued

The story certainly didn't take the direction I initially thought it would, which was very refreshing. Helen Paris seemed determined to show that women of all ages have hidden depths, strengths and wisdom that certainly shouldn't be overlooked or ignored. By the end I was cheering Janet and her friends along.

The Invisible Women's Club by Helen Paris will be published on 22nd June 2023 in hardback and ebook. My thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers for a review copy.