Almost Visible

by Michelle Sinclair

Tess has just moved to Montreal from Nova Scotia, and seeks to lose herself by getting involved in the lives of others. She befriends an older man while delivering meals to the elderly. Her interest in his past veers into obsession after she furtively goes through his photos and letters and “borrows” his journal.

Though fact and fiction are blurred, they reveal a man shaken by political polarization and repression in his Latin-American homeland.

Tess learns about a young, passionate man in the 1970s forced to reconcile his love for a militant young woman and his dedication to his best friend whose family is on the other side of the political divide. As she delves deeper into the man’s story, she questions her own life choices, emotions and obsessions.

Exploring cultural and personal memory, Almost Visible reflects on what can happen when a lonely person intervenes in another person’s life.

Michelle SinclairMichelle Sinclair worked for two decades on policy related to human rights. She has lived, studied or worked in Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Switzerland, and the United States. She lives in Ottawa with her family. Almost Visible is her first novel.

In the media

“Almost Visible is a poignant, time-traversing literary novel about the rewards of daring to involve oneself in a stranger’s pain.” Karen Rigby, Foreword Reviews (Sep/Oct 2022)

“There is an intensity in Michelle Sinclair’s writing – depth of insight into each character, each setting and each moment – that draws the reader into the words of her story. (…) Almost Visible is a powerful study in themes of cultural and personal memory … Every word, every moment has a place in her writing. This makes for excellent reading.” Anne Smith-Nochasak, The Miramichi Reader

Praise

“A novel that wisely and compassionately explores the self-shattering lines that exist between altruism and betrayal, cynicism and idealism, and the harsh price paid by both sides.” David Adams Richards, Giller and Governor-General award winner

“A story about deep human connection wrapped in images of great beauty. Sinclair’s novel offers a cross-cultural exploration of a fractured past turned into a contemporary obsession. A delightful read.” Claudio Palomares-Salas, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, Queen’s University

“In Almost Visible, Michelle Sinclair takes the reader into the lives of characters on the cusp of adulthood as they navigate their worlds. From Montréal to an unnamed “country in South America” on the verge of a civil war, we see how family secrets impact the lives of the unsuspecting. I found myself thinking about Almost Visible and the book’s characters for weeks after turning the final page—always a sign of a good book.” Blossom Thom, Montreal Poet, author of #HashtagRelief (Gaspereau 2017)

Genres: Canada, Fiction

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2022

About the author

Michelle spent nearly two decades working as a policy officer on human rights issues, and has held a number of jobs in the health field. She studied international development and social work at McGill University, and has an MFA from Chatham University in Pittsburgh. Her fiction, nonfiction and translations from Spanish to English have appeared in a number of journals in Canada and the United States. She has lived, studied or worked in Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Switzerland, and the United States. She now lives in Ottawa on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people with her husband, three children, two cats who often walk on her keyboard, and a dog. This is her first novel.

Reviews

[Heidi Amar · Rating 4 out of 5]

أن تتحول ذكرياتنا المؤلمة التي عشناها ولا ندري مدى صحتها، إلى سكاكين حادة تمزق حاضرنا، تتحدث هذه الرواية عن "تيس" التي تؤلمها ذكرياتها مع أمها المتوفيه ووالدها وحبيبها الذي لم يبادلها الحب وتخلى عنها لأجل صديقتها.

تقابل "تيس" اثناء عملها في توصيل وجبات الطعام لمنازل المسنين، رجل غريب الأطوار يدعى "هيويت" يعيش هذا المسن تحت كومة من الذكريات داخل شقته. وبسبب هذا اللقاء لا تعود حياة "تيس" كما كانت.


رواية حزينة بل غارقة في الحزن، تحتاج لشخص غير مبال ليقرأها بسلاسة وبسرعة، أما أولئك العالقين في دوامة الحنين والذكريات فهي مؤلمة جدًا لهم. لكنها أيضًا تمتلك حبكة ستتلاعب بالقارئ It will blow your mind

يعيبها عدم فهمي للجزء السياسي فيها. ويرجع السبب لعدم إلمامي بالاحداث التاريخية الواردة في الرواية. لاحظت أن السمة الغالبة على الأدب الكندي هي التعاسة والحزن.

تقييمي: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


اقتباسات:

"مع مرور الوقت نتعلم أن البقاء في المكان نفسه أمر خطير، ولكن الأخطر منه هو التشبث بذكرياتنا، فيمكن أن تتشوة الذكريات ويمكن أن تطاردنا"

"إن المضي قدمًا هو الحقيقة الوحيدة"


#غير_مرئية #ميشيل_سنكلير #رواية #أدب_كندي

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is exquisitely thoughtful and the interwoven stories kept me eagerly turning pages to learn more about the characters. Beautiful. Absolutely excellent.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle Sinclair's ALMOST VISIBLE is a quietly hypnotic, richly layered story of the past we can't outrun and the journey we undertake to realize this.

Some of the language and images in ALMOST VISIBLE are as hauntingly beautiful as the finer works of poetry out there today. A wonderful debut novel.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a great easy read. The details of the Montreal setting are vibrant. I love how past and present combine into one.
Look forward to more reads from Michelle!

[Dominique Potvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous, thoughtful novel interlaced with resounding reflections on belonging, connection and staying true to oneself. « Almost visible » took me to traveling across the globe and inside the characters’ minds, while encouraging me to confront my own assumptions. It brilliantly dances between vivid down-to-earth scenes and inspiration by leading modern thinkers. A refreshing and surprising piece - highly recommended!

[Gaby Ponce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was truly captivated by this book. I found it so interesting how the author was able to tell two different stories and connect them. The book had everything I love in a good read. It had real emotions that I could relate to, it had history and mystery as well.
Simply a great book .

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost Visible is a thoughtfully written, sensory exploration of person, place and memory. Ms. Sinclair has a magical quality to their writing that reminds me at times of Michael Ondaatje. Very enjoyable, and highly recommended.

[Anne Smith-Nochasak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost Visible explores the depths of brokenness in the human condition, but also embraces its dreams and hopes. Both Tess and her new friend hold truths in their pasts that surface one layer at a time. There are profound surprises as all secrets rise to the surface, and ultimately, each must discover, embrace, and live with the truths that haunt their lives.
There is an intensity in Michelle Sinclair’s writing – depth of insight into each character, each setting, and each moment – that draws the reader into the worlds of her story. Andrés reflects on his mother’s boring life: “Routine had become a crutch to help my mother through the days. I wonder whether routine keeps us away from something essential.” The transition into winter in Montreal is apt: “From one day to the next, a frosted cloak descends on the city. The city struggles to maintain its rhythm and sensuality, while people dig out their parkas and toques from their closets.” She captures a windy day at the wharf exactly: “Flags or sails flapped in the wind, banging out a rhythm.” She brings life to her characters and settings, and she tells their story with integrity.
Almost Visible is a powerful study in themes of cultural and personal memory that engages the reader with honest characterizations, vivid settings, and effective imagery. Every word, every moment, has a place in her writing. This makes for an excellent reading.

[Len Fleischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so appreciated reading this book. I can’t say I enjoyed it, as much as I loved the author's courage and craft as a writer, as the central themes (at least to me) of coming to terms with trauma and memory, love and loss felt very visceral, at times painful.

I think about vicarious trauma all the time. I have listened to hundreds of narratives like that of Tess and Andres/Martin. Trauma--whether personal, vicarious, collective, intergenerational—has been my daily bread since I was a kid. I think Ms. Sinclair has really nailed it—that there is a hole in the middle of the prettiest life, and that in spite of that, or perhaps because of it, kindness, grace, and love are possible.

At first, I found Tess’ musings to be excessively self-reflective, microscopic, even annoying…but I think that was what Ms. Sinclair was trying to do, to set up what was to come, the more macroscopic perspective of looking beyond ego-self to something bigger, more other-oriented, a larger Self. I felt like she cared deeply for her characters, even their flaws and their holes, something that makes possible genuine self-love, mutuality, and compassion.

[Alvaro Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Michelle Sinclair’s debut novel, “Almost Visible,” the main character Tess is searching: for a home, for a purpose, for a partner, for her mother, to solve a mystery. She carries the migrant’s nostalgia for her roots as she simultaneously wishes to break away from them and start anew in a cosmopolitan city. Haltingly stepping into a new sea, afraid of the water because she can’t swim, or “maybe she didn’t want to get into the water because she might never be able to leave it.”

Her own duality is mirrored in the plot, which carries parallel strands. One takes place in a Latin American country, decades ago, and never features Tess. It is full of adventure, intrigue and real danger. It reads like a dream told in broken fragments from a journal from an unknown writer, dancing madly like the Piazzolla/Goyeneche tango the book references: “Like a demented acrobat I will jump / over the abyss of your neckline until / I have crazed your heart of freedom / Soon you will see!” This strand of the novel has a strong sense of place even if the location is never specified, and has a wistful quality of abandonment.

The other storyline, which is the main one, follows Tess as she tries to find herself in the service of others. Although as she acknowledges in the book, she may do this for her own benefit. “She might need to figure out who she could blame. Like grief, perhaps. Or capitalism. Or her own stupidity.” We accompany Tess in her empathy, her self-doubt and self-pity, her love interests, and her search for meaning in a mysterious journal.

“Almost Visible” moves swiftly, switching between the present and the past without losing the reader and pulling us through threads of yearning, of romance, of loss, of violence, of class struggle, of migration, ultimately tying all of these in a beautiful web that provides closure and support without resolving the searches. It would seem this novel mirror’s the author’s own itinerant life of searching and I hope she takes us on further explorations, as she has on this stupendous debut novel.

[Erin Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. In fact, I read it twice to fully appreciate the layers of interwoven themes. This book threads two parallel stories of loss, privilege, social injustice and coming of age. There was a lot to like and reflect upon. How do we reconcile our self-interest in doing right by others and our communities? Does storytelling mobilize change or provide a safe place to hide in the words of others? I was particularly impressed that literature itself was a featured character in the book. Sinclair is obviously well read and she paid homage to the craft she loves. Recommended as a solo read or for book clubs given the depth of discussion and reflection this book can generate.

[Matthew Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost Visible is a strong debut by a talented writer. The story concerns a character named Tess who acquires the journal of a mysterious old blind man from South America that she delivers food to. While reading it, she pieces together aspects of his past, and wrestles with her own demons. It all builds up to a satisfying finale that weaves these threads together and leaves you with a lot to think about, such as how the political and the personal intertwine in often tragica ways, and how we deal with our past experiences. The characters are well drawn, the pace doesn't drag, and the writing is strong. All in all, recommended reading.

[Misty Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about love and loss, and what it means to stand up for something (or someone.) This is an intertwining story of Tess, a social worker (who's never worked as a social worker!) who has just moved to Montreal, and Mr. Hewitt, an older man she delivers meals to and support through a psychiatric hospitalization. When Tess discovers an old journal in Mr. Hewitt's apartment, we are transported back in time to a young man's life in a politically divided Latin-American country. I enjoyed these scenes the most! The book tackles profound questions about what it means to BE good vs. what it means to DO good in the world. Highly recommend!

[Erika Radich · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALMOST VISIBLE was a profound journey into the past and into the minds and hearts of the characters. It slowly evolved into a search for identity and engagement with trauma by way of the mysterious life of an unlikely friend through his past. The story unraveled slowly and expertly to provide clarifying clues as it came to a welcome and satisfying resolution. I found the writing intimate and honest. I loved the characters. The twists in the plot were well placed.
I felt a huge sigh as it ended with a sense of hope. Thank you Michelle, Sinclair for writing this wonderful book.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who has strayed away from reading fiction, Almost Visible reminded me again of what a pleasure it is to read an exceptionally well crafted piece of literature. It’s hard to believe this is Michelle Sinclair’s first published novel. She has managed to weave a tapestry of prose that enables one to tangibly savor, inhale, and embody the myriad sensations her characters undergo. I shall definitely be reading this book again !

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story feels real, so real it felt familiar. The emotions the main characters express and their navigation through the past, the present and their grief are human and relatable. The story is interesting, complex and beautiful. The author takes the times to draw you in by the imperfectly perfect humans she's created. Their stories are meaningful. An absolutely wonderful read.

[Frances Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong debut novel with memorable, fully-realized characters. The research into activism in 70s era Latin America makes for compelling and fascinating reading, and the contemporary story is equally inspiring.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an engaging read that I finished it in 2 days, which is a real feat for a slow reader like me. But most of all, having lived a number of years in Montreal, it was so touchingly familiar and the characters so beautifully rendered that I felt very privileged while reading it.

[Matt Telsin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my review on Ottawa Review of Books:
https://www.ottawareviewofbooks.com/s...
Reviewed by Wayne Ng

Almost Visible is Ottawa writer Michelle Sinclair's debut novel. Where many literary fiction novels are grounded in language, purpose, and themes, Sinclair's inspiration was a feeling -- empathy. She, like her protagonist Tess, has a background in social work. One imagines Sinclair exploring how one empathizes (or fails to empathize) as the basis of our connection. But grief and loss are also imprinted on Tess. After several personal losses, she is adrift, and her thinking, choices, and moods are unsettled.

Serious introspection is difficult to convey in a novel and to engage the reader. You can see how anger, rage and, of course, love can do it. So it's a tip of the hat to the debutante to lead with static emotions like grief, loss, and empathy.

"Most people she knows love the fall, but she can’t get over all the dying and the fact that people rejoice in it, in plain sight. The wind stirs leaves and they rustle the pavement, and she senses stillness--the wait for the weight of the snow. It’s a season that often feels like going backwards. A season of introspection, atonement."

The prologue, which is essentially the ending of a story within a story, grabs you with the tragic demise of Bárbara, in a prison cell in an undisclosed location, about to give birth to the daughter she will never see again.

We begin with Tess, a young woman who flees from Nova Scotia to Montreal to escape the memories of a relationship that never lived up to its potential and the death of her mother.

"…someone told her that in the land of grief, time works differently. In grief, time can bend back upon itself or float in a vast expanse."

She is lonely, without direction or purpose or identity.

She takes a volunteer position coordinating schedules for Meals on Wheels. One day it falls to Tess to deliver a meal to Mr. Hewitt, a cynical but highly educated elderly man who lives alone. He is blind, has hoarding issues and, we suspect, other mental problems.

Tess isn't one to make decisions or act on impulse, but she discovers a journal in the rubble of Mr. Hewitt's life and takes it. In the journal, Tess discovers a love story set against the backdrop of political repression in an unnamed Latin American country.

This is where Almost Visible picks up speed. Tess' reading of the man's journal reveals Bárbara and Andrès (from the prologue) and a third character, Martin, in an unnamed Latin American country. Where Tess's life was static, the journal reveals a romantic triangulation along with civil wars, high-stakes political conflicts, and kidnappings. Suddenly, there is an external urgency to Tess's life that both hypnotizes her and gives her another lens through which to reevaluate her own story. Does she befriend Mr. Hewitt out of altruism, or is it self-serving?

"What she felt for most people was a yearning, a desire to change itself through association. To allow her body to roam. To lose herself in meaning, even if it is invented."

Wanting to escape, but not knowing where to go, Mr. Hewitt tells her, "The past really is a predator."

The diary entries are sometimes opaque, we're never quite sure what is real or imagined, or even who is who. Mr. Hewitt says to Tess, ".....the cat. Borges called it the magical animal that lives in the eternity of an instant. Unlike us, poor creatures. We can conceive of different realities but we’re bound to keep making the mistake of regretting, romanticizing, or anticipating. Don’t we? We don’t realize that we’re shackled to one moment at a time."

Looking at Michelle Sinclair's bio, you can't help but wonder how much of her is Tess. Both are social workers from Nova Scotia. Sinclair also worked in Latin America for years. You can almost see her in Almost Visible. There's a tentativeness, a hesitancy in Tess's life that is reflected in her writing. Her pacing and tone are sometimes too even. Then she hits you with some extraordinary language and metaphors that make you wonder how a new writer has the audacity, talent, and courage to push and blur the boundaries.

"The stars. Even the ones we see may no longer exist. We’re seeing their past. Tess thinks it’s the same for people. Maybe they’re no longer here, but we see them anyway."

[Wayne Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost Visible is Ottawa writer Michelle Sinclair's debut novel. Where many literary fiction novels are grounded in language, purpose, and themes, Sinclair's inspiration was a feeling -- empathy. She, like her protagonist Tess, has a background in social work. One imagines Sinclair exploring how one empathizes (or fails to empathize) as the basis of our connection. But grief and loss are also imprinted on Tess. After several personal losses, she is adrift, and her thinking, choices, and moods are unsettled.

Serious introspection is difficult to convey in a novel and to engage the reader. You can see how anger, rage and, of course, love can do it. So it's a tip of the hat to the debutante to lead with static emotions like grief, loss, and empathy.

"Most people she knows love the fall, but she can’t get over all the dying and the fact that people rejoice in it, in plain sight. The wind stirs leaves and they rustle the pavement, and she senses stillness--the wait for the weight of the snow. It’s a season that often feels like going backwards. A season of introspection, atonement."

The prologue, which is essentially the ending of a story within a story, grabs you with the tragic demise of Bárbara, in a prison cell in an undisclosed location, about to give birth to the daughter she will never see again.

We begin with Tess, a young woman who flees from Nova Scotia to Montreal to escape the memories of a relationship that never lived up to its potential and the death of her mother.

"…someone told her that in the land of grief, time works differently. In grief, time can bend back upon itself or float in a vast expanse."

She is lonely, without direction or purpose or identity.

She takes a volunteer position coordinating schedules for Meals on Wheels. One day it falls to Tess to deliver a meal to Mr. Hewitt, a cynical but highly educated elderly man who lives alone. He is blind, has hoarding issues and, we suspect, other mental problems.

Tess isn't one to make decisions or act on impulse, but she discovers a journal in the rubble of Mr. Hewitt's life and takes it. In the journal, Tess discovers a love story set against the backdrop of political repression in an unnamed Latin American country.

This is where Almost Visible picks up speed. Tess' reading of the man's journal reveals Bárbara and Andrès (from the prologue) and a third character, Martin, in an unnamed Latin American country. Where Tess's life was static, the journal reveals a romantic triangulation along with civil wars, high-stakes political conflicts, and kidnappings. Suddenly, there is an external urgency to Tess's life that both hypnotizes her and gives her another lens through which to reevaluate her own story. Does she befriend Mr. Hewitt out of altruism, or is it self-serving?

"What she felt for most people was a yearning, a desire to change itself through association. To allow her body to roam. To lose herself in meaning, even if it is invented."

Wanting to escape, but not knowing where to go, Mr. Hewitt tells her, "The past really is a predator."

The diary entries are sometimes opaque, we're never quite sure what is real or imagined, or even who is who. Mr. Hewitt says to Tess, ".....the cat. Borges called it the magical animal that lives in the eternity of an instant. Unlike us, poor creatures. We can conceive of different realities but we’re bound to keep making the mistake of regretting, romanticizing, or anticipating. Don’t we? We don’t realize that we’re shackled to one moment at a time."

Looking at Michelle Sinclair's bio, you can't help but wonder how much of her is Tess. Both are social workers from Nova Scotia. Sinclair also worked in Latin America for years. You can almost see her in Almost Visible. There's a tentativeness, a hesitancy in Tess's life that is reflected in her writing. Her pacing and tone are sometimes too even. Then she hits you with some extraordinary language and metaphors that make you wonder how a new writer has the audacity, talent, and courage to push and blur the boundaries.

"The stars. Even the ones we see may no longer exist. We’re seeing their past. Tess thinks it’s the same for people. Maybe they’re no longer here, but we see them anyway."

This Review appears in The Ottawa Review of Books May Issue 2023.