Yesterday at the Fusion Brew coffee shop in Normal, IL, I had the chance to share tea with Sarah TheBarge, writer of The Invisible Girls and the author of a great blog. I loved her book and feel like I’ve really gotten to know her through her blog. I thought I would like her, and I was not disappointed. Instantly, I sensed her gentle, kindhearted spirit. Thebarge, now 36, travels the world writing, speaking, exploring, and practicing medicine (she’s a physician’s assistant).
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| Sarah, exuding her kindness… |
I told Sarah when her book arrived at my home a year ago, I read it entirely in one afternoon. She hooked me almost instantly. And is that any wonder? The memoir tells the story of how she nearly died of breast cancer in her 20s before moving from the east coast all the way to Portland, Oregon, where by chance she met a family of Somali refugees that soon resulted in both Sarah and the Somali refugees lives being changed in immeasurably good ways.
On the front cover of The Invisible Girls popular writer Donald Miller says of Thebarge’s book: “Wonderfully written … You’ll get caught up in the strength of her kindness.“
I’ll second that. I found her to be warm and easy to talk with, with a ready smile. She told me soon she is headed off to Europe to live as a writer-in-residence (she did this last year, too) and then likely off to Africa with Samaritan’s Purse, the international relief agency, where she will spend time practicing medicine and writing, before coming back the United States this fall.
I’d highly recommend both Sarah’s book and her blog. You will enjoy getting to know her.
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