“She had invisibility. She let that sink in. And as she did, she realised … she’d felt invisible for years.”

Tilda Is Visible is the first adult novel by Australian author, Jane Tara. Her pinkie finger goes missing; then her right ear…. The diagnosis of Invisibility is a shock, and after treating it with Google and alcohol, Tilda Finch, divorced, fifty-two, follows her female reflex and shares the news with her closest friends and her daughters, certain of unwavering support.

Her friend Ali caters; her friend and business partner, Leith pulls strings to get an appointment with an expert; and her friendly GP points her to a support group. Her twins react as expected: actress Holly is dramatic; vet Tabitha is calm and thoughtful, and Tab’s partner Jess is perceptive and practical. But for all that, more and more bits of Tilda become invisible.

Inadequately funded research (as with any condition that affects ageing women) suggests that there is no cure for Invisibility, and Tilda finds the support group depressing, more of a discouragement group, if anything, although she does connect with a few members who share her sense of humour.

More than one of those she is close to suggests the problem comes from within, as does the expert, (who might, or might not, be a charlatan) and thus any cure will depend on her. Tilda attends the appointment, is bewildered by Selma Nester’s approach, isn’t quite convinced, but willing to give her methods a go.

The distraction she doesn’t need is the gorgeous man at the café, whose banter immediately draws her in. Her inner dialogue, what Selma has defined as PEARL – Program Everything- Always Repeat Loop – tells her he was just being nice and couldn’t possibly be interested in her. He certainly wouldn’t be, if he knew the truth. Would he? Later, Selma tells her “You’ve lost sight. Of yourself. And if you can’t see yourself, how will anyone else?”

As Tilda talks with other women with the same diagnosis, some common features become apparent: whatever past experience has left them questioning their own worth, their inner dialogue is continuously feeding them a loop of negativity, degrading any chance of self-love; that their frequent self-sacrifice, begging to be seen and loved, is really self-sabotage; that you get what you focus on, be it pain or heartbreak or not deserving happiness.

It takes a while, but eventually, Tilda realises the truth of what Selma has been saying: that our own opinion of ourselves must be the one we value most; that we need to acknowledge ourselves. “The most rebellious thing we can do now is to not care what others think of us.” Can Tilda heal herself?

In Tilda Is Visible, Jane Tara has taken a common phenomenon, that ageing women feel less and less seen and, with impeccable wisdom and insight, given it a physical manifestation. The potential causes and cures that Tilda pursues to restore her visibility are equally applicable to the condition that plagues many women of a certain vintage in today’s world.

Tilda and her friends are an appealing bunch and their dialogue is filled with so much laugh-out-loud humour, often black as, clever unspirational quotes, and the absolute best puns on invisibility. “We’ve always said we’re going to be two ole birds together. You’ll be invisible and I’ll be known as the crazy old lady who talks to herself, because people won’t know you’re there.” Hilarious, heart-warming and hopeful, this is a brilliant debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Affirm Press.