Member Reviews
A great tale proving that older life isn't fixed in the routine of the past.
Janet leads a solitary life having been hurt numerous times in the past. A lover of plants (and particularly knowledgeable about medicinal herbs) her carefully structured days revolve around her allotment plot at Seaview Allotments. While previously always on the periphery of the communal activity at the allotment, the news that the allotment is in danger of being sold to a developer, pushes Janet on a journey to visit an old work colleague, causing her to address mistakes in her past while changing the course of her future.
I loved this book and both Janet and Bev, among the great cast of characters. Seemingly chalk and cheese, Janet and Bev's exploits are both hilarious and sometimes tinged with sadness. I would love to visit Seaview Allotment and see them both.
Proving that older women shouldn't be ignored and the value and might of people power, this is a great read that will keep you smiling long after you finish.
“Janet is a connoisseur of loneliness. Each morning she samples the sharp clear cold of waking up alone, savours the dark shadowy notes of another lone evening that tips into endless solitary night. And it’s there, too, of course, that aloneness. Snuggled up in bed right beside her.”
The Invisible Women’s Club is the second novel by British author, Helen Paris. At seventy-two, Janet Pimm has been on her own for quite some time, and she really doesn’t need her neighbour Bev’s charitable chumminess, her invitations to watch the local am-dram troupe churn out another farce.
The thing that gives her most joy is her afternoons at Seaview Allotments. She may not be growing the sort of things her fellow gardeners do: to some her plot looks like it’s full of weeds; but she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants from which she is sure they could benefit. “Ever since taking over her plot at Seaview, Janet has tried to share her knowledge with the other allotmenteers, to disperse like pollen the endless possibilities and wonders of plants. Yet despite her best intentions, her efforts always seem to misfire.”
Nor, it seems, is the National Trust interested: her application as a volunteer guide in their gardens is rejected. But the consolation she finds in being among her plants is suddenly threatened: a council warns they have a knotweed invasion in the wildflower corridor abutting the allotments, which may mean that all of the one hundred and twenty plots will be repossessed by council and bulldozed.
The gardeners are anxious, angry, panicky at the idea of losing their refuge, their hobby, the source of food for their Refugee Community Kitchen; some even look at Janet with accusation; chair of their allotment group, Patrice Winston urges calm; legal advice will be sought; the councillor will be met with; a social media campaign will be launched to save their hard work.
But Janet is suspicious, and a quick check shows the knotweed has been recently transplanted. Their large parcel of land is central to town with sea views; Pete Marsh, the newest borough councillor in Hastings has been seen with a wealthy developer. Janet smells a rat.
“But this is just topsoil; Janet needs to dig deeper to find the roots. There will be something she can grab hold of and pull. She just needs to find the correct place to foot the spade.” (Janet does tend to think in gardening terms).
To fight this, she’s going to need proof. She turns to her formidable colleague from her time at GCHQ, Glynis Hatchwell, now retired in Windermere, but hungry, Janet can tell, for distraction. Janet’s day trip to the Lake District to brief Glynis doesn’t quite go as planned…
What a marvellous tale Paris gives the reader! Not just a David and Goliath story pitting gardeners against developers, but also one that addresses attitudes to older women, and to menopause, and champions the mental and physical health benefits of working an allotment.
Janet is an interesting protagonist, a woman carrying guilt and regret who find courage and friendship in the fight for her little plot. Paris gives her an appealing support cast: some quirky but most well-intentioned. Paris includes plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, and a few lump-in-the-throat ones, in this truly heart-warming and uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK/Doubleday.
The Invisible Women's Club is a wonderful book, with an engaging and unexpected storyline.
Janet is 72 and feels invisible to the world, as many middle-aged and older women do. When her beloved allotment is threatened by the council, Janet finds the steel she had in her youth and sets out to save it. Linking up with her middle-aged neighbour, Bev, who is also suffering with invisibility issues, they set off on an adventure to uncover corruption within the council.
An intelligent must-read book.
A heartening story of women in older age who often feel overlooked and invisible. Janet, the protagonist, at 72 is lost and lonely but when her beloved allotment is threatened her life changes. Excellent storytelling and characters.
This is the second book I have read by this author and the second that I have loved! She writes so sympathetically about characters who may not fit into the 'normal' bracket but are so likeable and instantly relatable, it is a terrific gift. Janet is our heroine in this novel and the older lady is frustrated at not being seen, something I'm sure a lot of older ladies can relate to. I loved this book so much I read it in two sittings and will definitely be on the lookout for what the author produces next.
I found that the main character in this book was really easy to warm to and I found myself really eager to learn more about her and hoping the best for her. Overall I thought this book was really easy to read, but I don't overly think I would recommend this book to read - as I thought it was quite slow and I didn't feel like too much happened either. I think potentially this book is aimed at an older audience, and that is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
Regardless I'd still keep an eye out for this author and read some more of her work in the future!
I was intrigued by the premise of this book because I am now at an age where I often feel as though I'm invisible. I often tell my husband and my children that the only time I feel they really, properly, listen is when I lose my temper and shout. The only time I've ever felt like this before was when my youngest son was very small. I felt that I - or at least the part of me that was me - was slowly disappearing beneath the titles of wife and mother. My reaction to that was to start studying for an MA in Creative Writing, just because I wanted to. It was something I was doing that was solely for me.
The plot centres around Janet Pimm - it's established fairly early on that her life was not always as lonely and conventional as it is when the book begins, but whatever her past has been, now she lives alone and her life revolves around her allotment and the plants within it. Janet is clearly a person who it is easy to misunderstand and become offended with and this increases her isolation from those around her.
She ends up on a slightly bizarre road trip, driven by the desire to save the allotment, but the journey ends up being more than just a trip up north, it's the beginning of Janet's road back to herself and the person she once was. Her trip to Whernside and the description of the weather towards the summit reminded me of a very cold and snowy New Year's Day when I climbed it with my husband and son and my brother and his wife. It was freezing cold and foggy and the snow was quite thick at the bottom, but the sense of achievement and elation when we reached the top was wonderful. However, it also brought back memories of our own experiences of getting lost when out hiking - in our case on Fylingdale Moor. We had our then 5 year old son and 3 dogs with us and it was getting dark and we had no idea where we were. My son saved me from going head first over a steep drop and I've never been so grateful to see the lights of a garage in the twilight!
The descriptions of menopause are both funny and poignant. So many female friends have shared with me their feelings of somehow losing part of their womanhood when they went through it and although I am firmly still in the 'peri' stage of menopause, the brain fog is already beginning to make itself felt. Last week in Tesco, I forgot the word 'bag' and had to try to mime what I wanted to the very bemused checkout lady. For a writer, not being able to grasp words is a scary experience!
Janet is a character whom, whilst probably hard to love in real life, is very easy to fall in love with on the page. Her life has made her the person she is when we meet her and although to some extent, her choices were her own, I can't escape the feeling that if society, or even her own family, had been different, she may not have made the same choices and would, in all likelihood, have led a far happier life. Nevertheless, by the time I closed the book, I was feeling fairly confident that the rest of Janet's life would be much better than she had anticipated and in the end, that's all we can ask for someone we care about!
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.
Ignored. Overlooked. But they're about to prove everyone wrong...
Janet Pimm is used to being invisible. 70 something, with her beloved allotment for company, she simply doesn't need anyone else.
But when the local council threaten to close the allotments, Janet will do anything she can to try to save them - even enlisting the help of her irritatingly upbeat and interfering neighbour, Bev.
As the two women set off on a journey together, Janet begins to realise that perhaps she isn't so happy to blend into the background after all. And that maybe there's more to Bev than she first thought. As the bulldozers roll in and they fight to save the place Janet loves most, both women find their voice again and no one can silence them now...
A story of friendship, community spirit and the importance of connection.
Engaging and exciting from the beginning. A very realistic feel for the reader.
"When her fingers come into contact with her skin she is aware of its thin, crepe-like texture, of the places where the flesh is soft and dappled in live spots. But she also feels the definition of her muscles, honed from gardening, the shape of her biceps, deltoids, scapula. She tentatively charts the territory of her body, following an orienteering map of her own: her slope lines, her earth walls, her watercourses. Her body is an old map, worn and faded. But it still records a life lived. A body that has been loved. That has nurtured life, given birth. The map is still true."
Janet is the blueprint. An elderly woman in her 70's, she's been forgotten by society, sidelined by those around her and worst of all, no longer appreciated by herself. She's fallen into the trap so many women face as they age in a world where youth is currency. But this isn't a sad story, and I struggled to not quote the entire book because it's just so damn good.
With a deceptive beginning where we see Janet list off her favourite plants (using the latin names) and applying to the National Trust, you wouldn't be wrong for thinking this is just another story about a middle class retired woman making the most of her final years. But it is so much more. We quickly join the former GCHQ employee as she undertakes a mission to uncover the underhanded deals that are threatening her allotment - whilst finally facing up to her past - of her sexuality, her failed marriage and her choice to hide from the world.
"I'm apofuckingplectic. I'm spoonsnapping mad. Do you have any idea how high the suicide rates are amongst menopausal women? No! Nobody does because talking about menopause is so stigmatized that most women going through it don't even known that they're suffering from it. There are millions of us, Janet, millions, and we're not being taken seriously - we're ignored, or we're being made fun of. Why do we put with being shamed? We deserve better".
Our adventurous protagonist meets Bev along the way, a medical professional in her late 50's who is going through the menopause whilst passionately advocating for others to avoid the same struggles she is facing. Between the two of them, we learn about the struggles the older female population face, through a humorous, loveable plot line. I want both a Janet and a Bev in my life and can only aspire to be so passionate, knowledgeable and helpful to the community as I age.
We have drama, mystery, action and best of all - a loveable dream team who will not be ignored anymore - except when they can use their magical powers for good (such as brazenly breaking into building in broad daylight as who wouldn't hold open the door for an elderly woman?)
Thank you NetGalley for this gorgeous book. I adored it.
This book is a really great and worthwhile read. The protagonist is a retired woman which I think is never seen as much in books and we need to see more of. Her love for her gardening and the allotment is clear though out the book and makes it even more charming. You can warm up the characters as they develop and get to know them.
Janet Pimm is 72 years old. Single ever since she caught her husband cheating on her. Lost touch with all her old friends from university. Lost touch with her friends from GCHQ after a male superior humiliated her and had her sacked. Now her only solace is her allotment in the British seaside town of Hastings where she grows medicinal herbs. As should be expected of someone who worked at GCHQ, Janet is incredibly intelligent, and scarily knowledgeable about plants, unfortunately she seems to have lost all her social skills and has alienated most of the other people on the allotments through her high-handed behaviour. Her life is highly regimented, and her confidence in her own abilities is sky high.
Janet also has an annoying neighbour, Bev, who is constantly 'popping' round, suggesting they go to local am-dram shows and the like, clearly thinking Janet is in her dotage.
Then one day disaster strikes, the local council announce that Japanese Knotweed has been found in the wild flower meadow beside the allotments and the allotments will have to be closed. Desperate to save her allotment, Janet puts her formidable intellect to work and finds an unlikely co-conspirator in Bev next door. A trip to visit Janet's old GCHQ colleague in the Lake District gives the women a chance to discover more about each other as Bev and Janet agree they refuse to be invisible women over forty any more.
At first I found this difficult to get into, Janet's internal monologue was very self-important and full of Latin names for plants. When she applied for a voluntary position with the National Trust my heart sank, she'd be the sort of person who imparted dry facts one after the other, and only things she deemed to be important (ie nothing funny). However, the book soon had me in its grip and I defy anyone not to enjoy Bev, Janet, and the chair of the allotments chaining themselves together to defy the bulldozers!
A story about the power of the people, a shout out for the menopausal and the retired, a reminder of the ways in which those in power abuse that power, a love letter to plants and nature. A book about reclaiming your voice and following your heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
First, I want to thank NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read this book.
Second, I have to admit, I did judge this book by the title (I know normally it’s cover) and I was a bit disappointed at the beginning as it was something else what I believe I was expecting. Anyway, after reading more of the book, I learned that the main character it wasn’t just awkward, but she’s very smart and knew “her plants”.
In my opinion this is one of those books which you have to dig in a bit more to really enjoy it and enjoy the little adventures that Janet is going through to save the allotments.
Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for this ACE.
If you liked The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, then you'll enjoy this.
This book has certainly taught me a thing or two about plants and their medicinal properties. The author has clearly done her research (or is a very keen gardener herself!)
A feel good story that at the same time delves into women's rights, unfair treatment and misogyny.
Enjoyable and easy read. This book was outside my preferred genres. The main character really grew on me and I loved the friendship between her and Bev.
Absolutely brilliant. Especially when you feel invisible yourself. Bev was boss, I really saw myself in her ways. Loved this book from start to finish, one of those ones that leave you wanting so much more, will definitely be looking out for more of the authors books.
This excellent book tells the story of Janet, a retired GCHQ worker, when the council announce they will be closing the allotments. Janet’s allotment is her reason for living, and as her past story is revealed we find out why. This is a very moving book, and also very funny. The author clearly has extensive knowledge about plants (or did some brilliant research!) and the facts about plants are fascinating. Janet’s neighbour, Bev, is hilarious. I highly recommend this book.
It was ok - not what I was expecting and not my usual style of story but I enjoyed it anyway. The Invisible Women's Club is sure to get people talking!
This book is about Janet and her love for her beloved allotment and her dislike of human communication. This was till the threat of her allotment being closed down and her new friend Bev.
The story gets off to a slow start but there was instances that kept me intrigued and wanting to find out more. There was lots of twists towards the end, when I thought I had guessed what’s happening, I end up completely wrong.
This book is well worth the read, I’m glad I did.
I am sitting on the fence with The Invisible Women's Club. It was a slow burner for me and I found myself skim reading the in-depth descriptions of the plants as I felt it was too much detail. There were interesting parts to the story when Janet, (the main protagonist) let her guard down and befriended Bev, her outgoing neighbour. That's when the story began to pique my interest. I kept expecting Bev to reveal some big secret about her husband Eddie, her relationship, or something, as some of her actions seemed to imply something was going on but no big reveal.
Overall, a straightforward story that will appeal to avid gardeners.