Staff Book and Media Recommendations

Heather Scheele-Clark is an Archives Specialist

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue  by V.E. Schwab

Addie LaRue is a young woman growing up in 17th century France. Everything she knows is about to change with her forced marriage to a man she does not love. She is warned to “never pray to the gods that answer aft er dark,” but as her wedding draws near, she pleads with whatever god will answer. Her only wish is to live and be free. Her prayer is answered, however, the cost is almost too high a price. She has been saved by a devil who erases her from all memory. Everyone she has ever known or will ever meet will forget her the moment they turn away. To add insult to injury, she was made immortal. She must wander through life unable to leave any mark that proves she ever existed. She cannot write, be photographed or caught on fi lm. Aft er 300 years, she maneuvers through life and accepts her solitude. Until, one day, she meets someone who remembers. Schwab’s story is beautifully written and asks big existential questions about love, memory and human connection. It is a story that asks: how are you leaving your mark?