The Invisible Girls

A Memoir

By: Sarah Thebarge

Narrated by: Sarah Thebarge

Twenty-seven-year-old Sarah The barge had it all - a loving boyfriend, an Ivy League degree, and a successful career - when her life was derailed by an unthinkable diagnosis: aggressive breast cancer. After surviving the grueling treatments - though just barely - Sarah moved to Portland, Oregon to start over. There, a chance encounter with an exhausted African mother and her daughters transformed her life again.

A Somali refugee whose husband had left her, Hadhi was struggling to raise five young daughters, half a world a way from her war-torn homeland. Alone in a strange country, Hadhi and the girls were on the brink of starvation in their own home, "invisible" to their neighbors and to the world. As Sarah helped Hadhi and the girls navigate American life, her outreach to the family became a source of courage and a lifeline for herself.

Poignant, at times shattering, Sarah The barge's riveting memoir invites readers to engage in her story of finding connection, love, and redemption in the most unexpected places.

Critic reviews

"This memoir combines good writing, dramatic events, and a thoughtful response to them."—World Magazine

"Wonderfully written, the book will have you staring through it, into a world that seems to have been made new. I am grateful there are new writers in the world like Sarah Thebarge. You'll get caught up in the strength of her kindness and the girls she describes even as we gain our focus to slowly see them, and so many others, for ourselves."—Don Miller, author of Storyline and Blue Like Jazz

"Intertwining her own excruciating story of loss and rejection with the stirring story of a family of Somali refugees, The Invisible Girls is a testament to unwavering tenacity, resilient faith, and ineffable grace."—Karen Spears Zacharias, author of The Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder

"Honest, enlightening, heart-touching and, at just the right times, funny. Sarah's expertly-crafted sentences sing and sometimes sting, flowing smoothly, then suddenly jumping off the page. The interweaving of her story with that of a Somali mother and daughters is masterful. This isn't the American dream. It's a vibrant and authentic story of loss, disenchantment, discovery, and a reawakening of faith and hope."—Randy Alcorn, author of Heaven and If God is Good

"I picked up Invisible Girls and could not put it down. Thebarge fixes a loving eye on a family of Somali girls and an unflinching eye on her harrowing ordeal with breast cancer. No one can lead you out of a desert better than the one who's already been there. Beautiful writer, beautiful book, beautiful soul."—Susan E. Isaacs, author of Angry Conversations With God

"A raw, honest and powerful witness of the dangerous mercy of God...Her story will humble you and inspire you."—Rick McKinley, Lead Pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland, OR and author of A Kingdom Called Desire and This Beautiful Mess

Great Story

Sarah is a great story teller, the story is authentic and interesting. We listened to this book as a family and the language and some of the topics were more “mature” then I was expecting - without this, I realize, the story wouldn’t be complete... I just recommend that this book be read in the presence of an older audience. Thank you for sharing your story and for being so caring!

Interesting story as we encounter the "invisible"

The story is interesting. Most authors have difficulties carrying their own narration. This one was not an exception. It was somewhat difficult to listen to because the author is very emphatic in her tone throughout the narrative. I found the two storylines compelling and challenging to how I view those who are "invisible" in our society: cancer patients, refugees (I have volunteered with refugees for years) and then those who society outcasts for other reasons. The author accurately records the struggles of the refugees and immigrants. I also appreciate the author being open about her own struggles with cancer and God. However, I thought I was tracking with the timelines of the two stories but the last five-six chapters left me confused on this spot. And since these timelines were very important to the story line and the author's development, I think these timelines needed to be clearly portrayed throughout the book.