Audrey is tired of not being seen. She can walk into a friend’s home and no one would notice if she left the room, she can stand in a bar without being served and she can take a bottle of wine from the fridge without asking her to pay. As a thirty-eight-year-old lawyer who does more work than her junior partners without the recognition, Audrey embarks on a series of small rebellious acts of defiance.
The Little Clothes follows Audrey throughout a series of events which make her feel unappreciated and invisible. The people around her constantly seek her help, without providing any means of friendship in return. Even her own mother is intent on making her live in the shadow of her brother, while ignoring the truth about challenging events in Audrey’s past.
Throughout Audrey’s journey, she looks deeper into herself and starts to wonder about the events in her life which have made her feel like this. The little things, which have forced her into a life of servitude. The little things, which Audrey is now rebelling against. Audrey is always referred to as the nice girl who is, “so funny,” which she begins to subtly refute in her own unique way.
A wry, light read filled with dark humour and sometimes poorly constructed characters. There were so many loosely composed people and events within the plot that it was easy to get a little bit lost. Audrey, her father and her mother were perhaps the only people we were able to understand, while still yearning for more. Maybe that was the point though because after all, the other characters were so busy with themselves that they didn’t care about the people around them. At the height of the narrative, Audrey’s desperation to be seen culminates in an inappropriate event causing me to question whether Audrey has pure intentions or not.
The Little Clothes is relatable for modern women in many ways, particularly the topic of motherhood and the assumption that it “won’t happen,” when you hit a certain age, which Audrey expertly answers every time. Weekend trips to see emotionally juvenile parents, neighbours who don’t mind their own business and egotistical bosses who promote brawn before brains are all frustratingly present throughout the story. It is a reminder to us all that everyone, even the people we lean on, have their own issues bubbling underneath the surface.
At the heart of this story is a woman begging to be noticed. Audrey takes care of everyone around her as she continues to give from an empty cup, despite gaining little genuine friendship or appreciation in return. As she reflects on her past, traumatic memories come back to her and it opens a door to redemption and perhaps, a happy life.
Trigger warning: this story details instances of child sexual abuse, death and workplace bullying.
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