Intangible: a reader's review

“Intangible” is a beautiful, picture based book which is a window into the world of carers.  The journey of seven carers, all who have family members with a mental illness, is presented as insights and inspirations with personal testimonies giving a snapshot of what it is like to walk in their shoes.  It is presented against the dramatic visuals of landscapes from the world of Far West New South Wales.

Visually, this book gives the viewer a dramatic set of photographs from around the Broken Hill area, with its natural environment, history and the artefacts of mining that has taken place there.  It is hauntingly beautiful and it creates a desire within the viewer to sit with the images and spend time contemplating their own places and journey.

The images are integrated with testimonies and feelings from the seven carers.  A closer read of this book with its intimate marriage of text and images can bring a person into contact with their own feelings.  As “Intangible” progresses the reader will experience insights into the challenging and potentially rich life that can be the carer’s role.

“Intangible” will appeal to a wide variety of readers and its images can be appreciated and meditated upon with the words drawing  the reader into the lives of the people who are its hero’s, the carers.  As the reader progresses on the journey that is a carer’s life there is a progression through surprise, struggle, sadness, encouragement, emerging hope and triumph.

Within “Intangible” is a structure of steps and stages that mark the encouraging natural progress from the shock of finding one’s self in the carer role to the final stage of thriving. 

This book has a very wide appeal.  Readers who love photographs will look at the rich, beautiful pictures and be taken to the various places shown.  Carers will see that there can be progress through the intense personal struggle that is their special task.  Others will simply want to hold and view this work for the feelings it invokes.  One person, not a carer, said about “Intangible”, “This book is truly compelling.  While reading the experiences and feelings of the carers I was going through a raft of emotion myself.  Even as a non-carer these reflections touched me at a deep emotional level”.

Intangible is available for purchase from ARAFMI NSW for the cost of $20.00 (plus postage) on behalf of the Far West Local Health District.  All funds raised go to assist carers who are in a geographically isolated environment.