Coming-of-Age Novel Exposes Harsh Reality of Eugenics Movement
The Invisible Ones by Jaime Grookett
What’s It About?
In 1928, rural Pennsylvania, the Children’s Aid Society separates 17-year-old Anna Wilson from her three younger siblings. Illiterate, pregnant, and fearing the permanent estrangement from her family, she must fight to escape from an asylum and find freedom once more.
“American eugenics is often misunderstood and forgotten, yet it impacts the heritage of so many of us. These women’s voices went unheard for enough years.”
On a stormy winter day in 1928, representatives of the Pennsylvania Children’s Aid Society come to collect the four Wilson children, who are living alone in their farmhouse — with no guardians to be found. Splitting the family up, we follow Anna, the eldest, as she endures impossible hardships, abuse and trauma at the hands of an uncaring society.
The Invisible Ones (Vanguard Press) is a harrowing novel, inspired by the true stories of author Jaime Grookett’s grandmother and great-grandmother. “They drove me to learn more about the treatment of women in American history … women who lost their identities, many of whom remain nameless.”
Facing Unspeakable Horrors
Anna Wilson is the oldest of four children. On the day her mother walks out on them — long after their father has left — Anna steps in to become their guardian. Of course, she’s only 17 and cannot legally claim her siblings as her dependents. Together, the family survives for several months alone on their farm, tending to daily tasks and keeping themselves fed and afloat. When the state steps in, the children are torn from their home and each other.
With no knowledge of where her siblings have ended up, Anna is dropped into the custody of a family that she soon learns is crueler than she could have imagined. One night, with Ma and Pa out of the house, her foster brother forces himself on her — and it won’t be the last time.
Soon, when the symptoms of pregnancy begin to appear, Anna realizes that her situation has become more dire. She’s trapped, with no way to find her siblings except for a letter that she is unable to read — yet. Nightly, she teaches herself to read from a list of chores and a copy of Peter & Wendy, but progress is slow. Still, she doesn’t lose hope.
An attempt to run away from Ma, Pa and their cruel son lands her at Farview Training School, formerly known as the Village for Feebleminded Women. Constrained in a straitjacket upon her arrival, Anna observes the facility that will become her next nightmare. “As I looked up at a stone tower with iron bars across the windows, I realized the screams were coming from me.”
Anna is pregnant, mostly illiterate, and alone except for the kindness of Miss Millie, an employee at Farview. She needs a new plan, and fast. Will she be able to pass the test that will deem her fit and capable, in order to free her from the horrors that await her in the asylum? Can Anna’s new friend follow through on the promise to include Anna in her escape plan? And will she ever get back to her siblings and her farm?
Highlights a Harrowing Piece of History
Anna Wilson serves as a beacon of hope in the story, retaining optimism and a determination to take back control of her life, even when she falters at her lowest moments. The Invisible Ones is a coming-of-age story that isn’t romanticized — rather, it depicts the ways in which we are often forced to grow up before our time. Anna’s resilience in the face of cruelty reminds readers of all of the women who weren’t so fortunate — those who became victims of the same harsh systems that benefited from the eugenics movement.
The novel tells a moving and heartbreaking story of abuse and child neglect, the dangerous enactment of eugenics and the historical truths of asylums like Farview that prey on the vulnerable, poor and uneducated. Modern audiences living with the reality of the post-Roe v. Wade era and the #MeToo movement will connect to Jaime Grookett’s extraordinary effort to highlight the concept of “choice” that is inherent to our humanity.
Above all, The Invisible Ones shows that a little bit of kindness can go a long way. Strength and hope are the most powerful tools at our disposal, and a helping hand can bring us one step closer to the future we need. “Being there for someone, being the person that they needed you to be, was hard. Giving up was easy.” Sometimes, it’s those same hard choices that lead to the freeing reminder: “You are no longer invisible.”
“The Invisible Ones” can be purchased here.
About Jaime Grookett:
Jaime Grookett studied Creative Writing at Drexel University. She is a professor of Teacher Education. Her work appears in various publications, such as Typehouse Literary Magazine, Quail Bell Magazine, and Valiant Scribe. She was awarded Best of Fiction 2020 at Across the Margin. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and two rescue dogs. This is her first novel.
Publish Date: March 28, 2024
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Author: Jaime Grookett
Page Count: 340 pages
Publisher: Vanguard Press
ISBN: 9781837940103
