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The Invisible Sentence: A fascinating memoir from the wife of a prisoner and how her family survived outside the prison wire
Verna McFelin's gripping account of her life after her husband's arrest and incarceration for kidnapping is a stirring, enthralling and inspirational story. Her life of hardship and poverty is laced with the reality of God's miraculous love and filled with expressions of her enthralling relationship with God, and her love for her children, and the multiple people she meets and supports along the way.
It is absolutely fascinating, packed with Christian lessons, and is an extremely inspiring read. The Invisible Sentence comes very highly recommended by Chick Lit Cafe - and we declare it the must-read, 5-star memoir of the year!
"... a story of institutional maltreatment, of bureaucratic indifference, of the traumatisation and bullying of her children, of individual acts of cruelty and generosity, of hardship, of the value of collective strength and support-and of resilience and faithfulness in the face of adversity." -Sir Kim Workman KNZM, QSO.
It is absolutely fascinating, packed with Christian lessons, and is an extremely inspiring read. The Invisible Sentence comes very highly recommended by Chick Lit Cafe - and we declare it the must-read, 5-star memoir of the year!
"... a story of institutional maltreatment, of bureaucratic indifference, of the traumatisation and bullying of her children, of individual acts of cruelty and generosity, of hardship, of the value of collective strength and support-and of resilience and faithfulness in the face of adversity." -Sir Kim Workman KNZM, QSO.
146 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2021
About the author
Verna McFelin
1 book3 followers Biography
Verna Mary McFelin, MNZM is a New Zealand author, blogger, speaker, and expert in the field of the ‘invisible sentence’ served by the families of prisoners outside of the wire. In 1983, in a bombshell for Verna’s husband, Paul, was arrested for kidnapping and sentenced to 11 years in jail. As the result of her journey, in 1988 she founded Pillars, and organisation that helps prisoners' families.
Recognition
2010, Verna was awarded the Oranga Kaupapa personal award in recognition of her work with the families of prisoners.
2011, awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community and, in the same year, was called to the Beehive to receive the “He Mana to ia Tamaiti - Every Child Counts Award” for improving the well-being of children and providing support for their families in New Zealand.
2014, Pillars received the Champion Canterbury Business Awards for Charity Award Small Enterprise.
2018, awarded the highest Rotarian Award, the Paul Harris Fellowship for her services to children.
2018 and 2019, finalist in the Next Woman of the Year Award.
2019, Pillars took out the Mitre 10 Community of the Year Award at the New Zealander of the Year Awards under Verna’s leadership.
19 May 2018, Pillars celebrated its 30th anniversary the same day as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced that New Zealand’s gift to the couple would be a donation of $5,000 to Pillars. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Pillars to ‘unwrap their gift’ by presenting awards of excellence to four of the children.
2017, Verna is a founding member of INCCIP (inccip.org), the International Coalition for Children of Incarcerated Parents and co-organised the inaugural conference in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Verna Mary McFelin, MNZM is a New Zealand author, blogger, speaker, and expert in the field of the ‘invisible sentence’ served by the families of prisoners outside of the wire. In 1983, in a bombshell for Verna’s husband, Paul, was arrested for kidnapping and sentenced to 11 years in jail. As the result of her journey, in 1988 she founded Pillars, and organisation that helps prisoners' families.
Recognition
2010, Verna was awarded the Oranga Kaupapa personal award in recognition of her work with the families of prisoners.
2011, awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community and, in the same year, was called to the Beehive to receive the “He Mana to ia Tamaiti - Every Child Counts Award” for improving the well-being of children and providing support for their families in New Zealand.
2014, Pillars received the Champion Canterbury Business Awards for Charity Award Small Enterprise.
2018, awarded the highest Rotarian Award, the Paul Harris Fellowship for her services to children.
2018 and 2019, finalist in the Next Woman of the Year Award.
2019, Pillars took out the Mitre 10 Community of the Year Award at the New Zealander of the Year Awards under Verna’s leadership.
19 May 2018, Pillars celebrated its 30th anniversary the same day as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced that New Zealand’s gift to the couple would be a donation of $5,000 to Pillars. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Pillars to ‘unwrap their gift’ by presenting awards of excellence to four of the children.
2017, Verna is a founding member of INCCIP (inccip.org), the International Coalition for Children of Incarcerated Parents and co-organised the inaugural conference in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 21, 2021
This book had my attention right from the start.
I lived in the same small town in my younger years and knew Verna and her family.
I also knew of the incident that happened which turned their world upside down.
What I didn't know was the torture and heartache that went along with it.
Her journey throughout the years was incredible, to say the least, and the miracles that appeared to her along the way were just amazing!
This is a great read and had me believing every word!
I lived in the same small town in my younger years and knew Verna and her family.
I also knew of the incident that happened which turned their world upside down.
What I didn't know was the torture and heartache that went along with it.
Her journey throughout the years was incredible, to say the least, and the miracles that appeared to her along the way were just amazing!
This is a great read and had me believing every word!
December 27, 2021
More than a sentence
The victims of crime include not only those aggrieved but also the innocent families of those incarcerated. The latter are often viewed as second-rate citizens and serve not only a sentence of humiliation but also poverty and time apart from a loved one. Cleverly titled The Invisible Sentence, Verna McFelin, bravely recalls her experiences and how she came to form the organisation called Pillars. In her account, as a Christian, she shares her meaningful relationship with God, especially over this troubling period.
This is a well-written book, meticulously proofread and appropriately formatted to highlight points. It is an easy read, and in many ways inspirational. Verna has certainly been blessed.
I would recommend this book for both Christian and secular readers. It is a book that will open your eyes to injustice within our society.
The victims of crime include not only those aggrieved but also the innocent families of those incarcerated. The latter are often viewed as second-rate citizens and serve not only a sentence of humiliation but also poverty and time apart from a loved one. Cleverly titled The Invisible Sentence, Verna McFelin, bravely recalls her experiences and how she came to form the organisation called Pillars. In her account, as a Christian, she shares her meaningful relationship with God, especially over this troubling period.
This is a well-written book, meticulously proofread and appropriately formatted to highlight points. It is an easy read, and in many ways inspirational. Verna has certainly been blessed.
I would recommend this book for both Christian and secular readers. It is a book that will open your eyes to injustice within our society.
December 17, 2021
This is a memoir about a woman’s life that spiraled out of control when her husband was incarcerated for kidnapping. With a family to support she faced multiple setbacks and struggled with poverty while supporting and protecting her children from bullying.
The husband’s actions and consequences created an invisible sentence for the family left behind. This book is an inspirational story of hope, love, and faith when there’s no relief in sight. An exemplary example of God’s unconditional love and protection for those in need. The Invisible Sentence: A fascinating memoir from the wife of a prisoner and how her family survived outside the prison wire
The husband’s actions and consequences created an invisible sentence for the family left behind. This book is an inspirational story of hope, love, and faith when there’s no relief in sight. An exemplary example of God’s unconditional love and protection for those in need. The Invisible Sentence: A fascinating memoir from the wife of a prisoner and how her family survived outside the prison wire
November 10, 2021
When I started reading The Invisible Sentence, my expectations for it were very different to the book that I actually read. I had imagined that it would be a book describing in detail the difficulties that the author and her family experienced when her husband was convicted and spent time in prison. It is this, but to a much lesser extent than the synopsis suggests.
Verna McFelin is by all accounts a remarkable woman; firstly, in how she kept herself and her family together in the face of adversity and judgement. She faced years of trying to keep them all fed with a roof over their heads with no idea where money or sustenance would come from but it did, successfully. She then went on to found an organisation called Pillars in New Zealand which continues to this day to provide support for families with convicted family members and for which she has received well-deserved plaudits.
It must have been an incredibly hard time but I found that it is described in its very basic terms. McFelin advises the reader on the sorts of things that were experienced like bullying at school and how her daughter became wayward at the age of twelve and resorted to drugs but I did not feel that the story surrounding herself and her family ever really came alive for me. As a reader, you are told about it but I never really felt it and I think this is in part because the book deals with specific incidents very generally and is limited in its exploration of family relationships and tensions and the external pressures that must have affected them all on a daily basis.
However, what does get more dedicated time in the book and is very much brought alive through McFelin's memories is how strong her faith is and how she has an incredibly close relationship to God. It is also rather unique and McFelin's encounters with God and her reliance on His wisdom and guidance to get her through her toughest years are miraculous.
For people with a deep spirituality and faith, then this will be a book which will stay with you forever, strengthening beliefs and providing hope and comfort. However, as a memoir about a family surviving hardship, it skims the surface of the experience and left me wanting the human element rather than the spiritual.
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC.
Verna McFelin is by all accounts a remarkable woman; firstly, in how she kept herself and her family together in the face of adversity and judgement. She faced years of trying to keep them all fed with a roof over their heads with no idea where money or sustenance would come from but it did, successfully. She then went on to found an organisation called Pillars in New Zealand which continues to this day to provide support for families with convicted family members and for which she has received well-deserved plaudits.
It must have been an incredibly hard time but I found that it is described in its very basic terms. McFelin advises the reader on the sorts of things that were experienced like bullying at school and how her daughter became wayward at the age of twelve and resorted to drugs but I did not feel that the story surrounding herself and her family ever really came alive for me. As a reader, you are told about it but I never really felt it and I think this is in part because the book deals with specific incidents very generally and is limited in its exploration of family relationships and tensions and the external pressures that must have affected them all on a daily basis.
However, what does get more dedicated time in the book and is very much brought alive through McFelin's memories is how strong her faith is and how she has an incredibly close relationship to God. It is also rather unique and McFelin's encounters with God and her reliance on His wisdom and guidance to get her through her toughest years are miraculous.
For people with a deep spirituality and faith, then this will be a book which will stay with you forever, strengthening beliefs and providing hope and comfort. However, as a memoir about a family surviving hardship, it skims the surface of the experience and left me wanting the human element rather than the spiritual.
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC.
April 10, 2021
An absolute gem of a book. Verna talks about the spiritual journey she took to help see her through some horrifically difficult circumstances, beginning with one fateful night in Oamaru.
Her memoir is convincing and the attention to detail is beautiful. There are some very moving passages, particularly around her encounters with the spirit world. I thought the story about the fish and chip shop was particularly touching (and puts things in perspective).
I'm sure I will re-read this book many times. There are some excellent universal lessons here.
Her memoir is convincing and the attention to detail is beautiful. There are some very moving passages, particularly around her encounters with the spirit world. I thought the story about the fish and chip shop was particularly touching (and puts things in perspective).
I'm sure I will re-read this book many times. There are some excellent universal lessons here.
January 24, 2022
If you are someone looking for God in your life, this is the book to strengthen your faith and teach you about God's abundance and provision no matter what you are going through.
It's a nice easy read and you will smile at all the ways God has been beside Verna throughout her life.
It's a nice easy read and you will smile at all the ways God has been beside Verna throughout her life.
August 17, 2026
Fantastic read. An eye opener into the hardship of families when a partner is in jail. Raw , honest , real …and also an amazing testimony to the goodness of God and Verna’s strong unwavering faith.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews