It’s 1976 in small-town Wisconsin. Sarah is a 500-pound teenage girl, uneducated and isolated, living trapped in a house with an abusive brother since her beloved father died. One night she makes an unspeakable mistake. To escape, she grabs the opportunity of joining a travelling carnival as their sideshow fat lady. Even though “decent people didn’t run away with the carnival”, Sarah literally has nowhere else to turn, and she hopes that the carnival could be the thing she prays will save her. 

After a lifetime of trying to be invisible and hiding away from the stares and judgment of other people, Sarah must learn to become “prancing and visible, an abundant sideshow attraction” and perform for her public as Lola Rolls. As she makes true and lasting friends along the way, she grows in confidence. Can she be truly independent? Can she accept herself for who she is? Her journey of self-discovery is as realistic as it is touching.

In When You See Her, author Barbara Boehm Miller creates a rich and colorful world that is inhabited by believable individuals who display remarkable resilience in the face of their difficult lives. Miller’s dialogue is masterful, and she writes with great authority. The first-person point of view and narrative in Sarah’s voice work together to give the reader a profound understanding of Sarah and her motivations. 

Sarah’s character is drawn with compelling dexterity and empathy. From the opening scene where she is standing with a skillet in her hand to losing her virginity to a man more than twice her age, to her transformation into a self-sufficient woman, Miller hardly puts a foot wrong. The audience is hooked, drawn in and held to the last page.

When You See Her is a story that is well-written, gripping and emotionally charged.

Pages: 308 | ISBN: 1958231088