Under the Visible Life was published in 2016, the same year that identity politics went mainstream in Australia. Authors on opposite sides of the cultural appropriation argument got airspace in the mainstream media and there was much sturm und drang. But if the same thing was happening in Toronto where Canadian author Kim Echlin lives, then this book was a challenge to the debate. Who gets to write the stories of people with mixed heritage? The two central characters in Under the Visible Life are Afghan-American; and Chinese-Canadian. The Afghan-American girl marries a Pakistani; and the Chinese-Canadian marries an African-American. I see at the back of the book that there are thanks to consultants on these cultures and perhaps this is the respectful way an author can write such a story. I leave it to others to judge: I am firmly on the fence with this issue…
Under the Visible Life is the story of two women who negotiate the US jazz scene when everything was against the participation of women. Both are talented, but have to make hard choices in an era when women are expected to stay home in the kitchen, and sometimes they choose unwisely. One chooses an unsatisfactory marriage because it offers life in a less repressive country but finds that the repression travels with her; the other chooses a relationship with a gorgeous musician who turns out to be an unreliable man. Both find that having children compromises the choices they can make and the independence they need.
So it’s a well-worn theme but what makes it different is the liveliness of the jazz music scene, and the author’s dissection of the enduring power of cultural traditions even when they are transplanted to new settings. It’s not a great book, but it held my attention to the end, and I’m looking forward to reading The Disappeared which is on my TBR because it was nominated for the 2009 Giller Award and was recommended by Kim from Reading Matters and the late, great Kevin from Canada.
Author: Kim Echlin
Title: Under the Visible Life
Publisher: Serpent’s Tail, an imprint of Profile Books UK, 2016, 348 pages
ISBN: 9781781256381
Source: Kingston Library
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
Lisa, I found your blog by accident when I was looking for a unit of work on Boy Overboard/The arrival etc. It is very interesting to read your reviews and ideas on books. I look forward to reading some of these books in my holidays. Thanks
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By: Sam Iwatani on December 26, 2018
at 1:41 am
Hello Sam, nice to meet you. It’s great the way we stumble on things on the web, I know!
I don’t know what age group you are working with, but this one might be useful:
https://lisahillschoolstuff.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/book-review-the-day-my-father-became-a-bush-by-joke-van-leeuwen-translated-by-bill-nagelkerke/
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By: Lisa Hill on December 26, 2018
at 9:18 am
You know my position! I think people should stick to writing their own stories. As to ‘everything against’ what about Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald?
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By: wadholloway on December 27, 2018
at 9:21 am
Tsk,tsk, Bill, you’ve fallen into a man-trap. You can’t point to exceptional women who made it in a man’s world and say, if they did it, so can anyone. There are structural difficulties and prejudices that an exceptional woman can overcome, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok. If men without the talent and determination of Holliday and Fitzgerald can ‘make it’ because those circumstances favour them, then clearly it’s unfair and worse than that it’s also enabling the talent of women (in any field) to be wasted.
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By: Lisa Hill on December 27, 2018
at 11:34 am
Ok! Chastisement accepted.
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By: wadholloway on December 27, 2018
at 11:39 am
*chuckle*, a rare win for Lisa!
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By: Lisa Hill on December 27, 2018
at 12:19 pm
Beautiful review, Lisa! I loved Kim Echlin’s The Disappeared. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it. Happy reading!
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By: Vishy on December 28, 2018
at 9:11 am
Thanks, Vishy, and happy reading to you too.
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By: Lisa Hill on December 28, 2018
at 10:15 am