Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties: A Novel

Anxious Maggie Harris never put spousal abandonment in her list of things to worry over, and she’s blindsided when, at age fifty-three, she finds herself alone. Her husband, Adam, succumbs to a midlife crisis and has an affair; he is blunt and unequivocal about ending the marriage. Maggie is not on board. She’s spent thirty years taking care of her family–and relying on Adam to take care of her. Now she feels invisible. Reeling and grieving, she goes solo to Rome, where a sexy Italian man and a wise new friend named Jean give her a glimpse of a possible new life. Jean offers to loan Maggie her house in Ann Arbor for six months, and Maggie accepts. As Maggie begins building a world without Adam, she finds new love and rekindles long-lost passions–and is surprised to discover she isn’t invisible after all.

Though the wittiest and most inspired part of this novel may very well be the title, Pagan weaves a light-hearted story that aptly portrays a side of aging that’s often absent in books, movies, and advertising. The story of divorce, regret, and apology is not new, but this novel’s particular focus on late midlife is refreshing. Invisibility is not inevitable. Being seen begins with seeing oneself.