The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
By V. E. Schwab
Adeline LaRue, born in France at the end of the 17th century, wants more out of life than her small village can offer. Her dreams and aspirations conflict with society’s plans for her: get married young, have children, grow old, die, and be buried in the local cemetery. Adeline (Addie) befriends the village wise woman, an eccentric old hermit named Estelle, who gives her advice over the years but warns her never to pray to the gods who answer after dark.
When her parents decide that 23-year-old Addie is practically over the hill and insist that she marry a widower whose children need a new mother to care for them, Addie flees, on the day of her wedding, in her wedding dress, into the forest, desperately begging for help from whatever supernatural being who might respond. A search party is closing in on her, but by this time the sun has set, and she receives an answer from an immortal, powerful, malicious spirit in the form of a handsome young man. He will grant her prayers for freedom and time, in return for her soul. In a state of panic, Addie agrees. She remains forever youthful and beautiful, and while she can suffer pain and injury, she heals instantly. But there is more to this deal: No one remembers her, not her parents, her friends or her beloved Estelle. Going forward, everyone who meets her will forget her as soon as she steps out of view. Nor can she create anything. She can write, but the words quickly disappear from the page. She can speak, but she cannot pronounce her own name. These cruel aspects of the deal, a twisted representation of freedom she craved, make normal life impossible, and Addie is often miserable, lonely, homeless, and exceedingly hungry. She becomes essentially invisible.
The demon she dealt with, whom Addie comes to call Luc, reappears occasionally, and urges Addie to end her suffering and surrender her soul to him. Addie resists, and over the course of 300 years, uses her time well, educating herself, learning multiple languages, traveling far and wide, using her gifts and her curse to her advantage. Ultimately, she learns to use her skills ingeniously, to leave her subtle marks on the worlds of visual arts and music. She learns how to deal with Luc and even how to manipulate him. She is, for Luc, a source of frustration and fury, but ultimately, she earns his respect and more.
I would have wanted one more thing from Adeline LaRue: had I been in her place, I would have asked about the order of the universe. Is there a Heaven? Is there a Hell? An omnipotent creator God? Is he, Luc, unique, or are there other soul-hungry demons? But this must be beyond the scope of the story Schwab wants to tell. This one criticism aside, Addie LaRue is an unforgettable heroine.
There is perhaps a broader message here. How many of us feel invisible at times, isolated, aching to connect with others and leave our mark on the world? Addie LaRue should be an inspiration to all of us.