Invisible Ellen by Shari Shattuck

Ellen Homes is invisible. Abused and abandoned as a child, she finds comfort in food and observing others.  Most people overlook her and she likes it that way.

One day, on her way to work, Ellen decides to step in and prevent a blind woman from being mugged.  Thus begins the unusual friendship between Ellen and Temerity.  Somehow her blind friend, Temerity, can “see” the real Ellen.

Ellen keeps watch over her neighbors. She considers them her pets. They are:  “T-bone” the drug dealer and “Heidi” the lonely pregnant woman across the courtyard.  When T-bone, whose real name is J.B., is robbed and shot, Ellen and Temerity begin “sleuthing” to find the culprit. 

Meanwhile, “Heidi” – whose real name is Cindy, is miserable because she is about to give up her baby for adoption. The father of the baby was killed in Iraq and a crushed Cindy is unable to handle the baby on her own.  When a letter from the sister of the baby’s father is accidentally delivered to Ellen’s apartment, she and Temerity try to find a way to get the sister and Cindy together.

At work, Ellen gets involved in trying to help a coworker out of a rough situation. 

Ellen, who used to like being invisible, is now finding ways to help others, and in doing so, finds herself.  This was a heartwarming book about friendship, personal transformation, and the power of connecting with others. It is one of my favorite books of 2014. 

You can purchase the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local independent bookstore. Don't forget to check your local library too!