A Book That Hit So Close To Home!

I knew as soon as I started reading Ginny Yttrup's newest book "Invisible", that I was not going to put it down, and I was correct. I found myself yearning to get back to it even when I was in the middle of doing my other tasks. Yes! It was THAT good! Ginny's main character in the book is named Ellyn, she is a chef and owner of a cafe and is a lover of butter, but she is not a lover of herself. All she sees when she looks in the mirror is an overweight woman with nothing to offer anyone, especially a man. She is very friendly to people who come into her cafe and makes them feel right at home, but underneath all that she has a lot of hurt from past pain she needs to deal with. Ellyn starts to meet some new friends, one of them she meets is a beautiful woman named Sabina, she is staying in town for an extended time to deal with some issues herself. The friendship these ladies strike up is a "match made in heaven"! I believe God brings people in our lives who may be opposites in some ways but are perfect in the most important areas. Sabina is not afraid to tell Ellyn the truth and vice versa! Ellyn also begin a friendship with a young girl named Twila who she meets at a health food store, Ellyn doesn't realize it, but Twila has been dealing with her own type of eating disorder and has such a strength inside her that will be a great tool to help aid Ellyn towards a better eating lifestyle for herself. In between these relationships with these ladies there is a man,Miles, Ellyn's old doctor. He has been a widow for two years, and is very attracted to Ellyn, but Ellyn cannot fathom how anyone could possibly find her attractive. She has a long road to go before she can open that door. This book is not just about weight issues. The weight issues are just a symptom of something much deeper, a deeper hurt, a hurt these ladies have suffered in their past that has caused them to either overeat or not eat at all. And until that hurt is dealt with the symptoms will not go away. It also will not allow them to move on with the rest of their lives with another person, the healing inside of them has to begin first. I could definitely relate to several areas of this book. I think that is why it drew me in so easily. It made me laugh and it made me cry! And in the end it made me thank Jesus again for bringing me through my own battles with overeating. I was married to a man who whenever I would eat anything he would tell me, "you don't need to eat that." I would hide candy bars in my drawers. It was pretty sickening to have to do that. He and I went to divorce and he told me I was "fat and nobody would want me, I was lucky that he wanted me." I divorced him because he was an alcoholic and I couldn't put out children through that anymore. I am now married to a wonderful Christian man, married me when I was "bigger", I went from a size 18 and am now a size 12, but he would have loved me no matter what size I was! I remember hearing those words like Ellyn heard from "Earl" telling her those put downs and making her feel shameful. Well NO MORE! because just like Twila's tatoo we are "Imago Dei" (Image of God) We should never put ourselves or anyone else down! I loved this book! I will definitely be recommending it to the ladies in my book club and to anyone who will listen! Blessings~Deborah