Dianne Wolfer, Mia, Allen & Unwin, August 2022, 236 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760877026
Thirteen year old Mia lives with her mother on an isolated bush block in the Pilbara. She dreams of becoming a vet like her mum and assists her whenever possible. They share their home with a menagerie of pets and recovering animals, and the three horses they use in their equine therapy sessions.
Her parents divorced a number of years ago, and her dad now lives in Perth with his new wife and their twins. Mia spends holidays with them and often Face-times. Her parents have an amicable relationship, and it’s refreshing to see a civilised divorce portrayed rather than the usual toxic and damaging divorces so often seen in books. Mia ‘feels grateful that her parents still get on okay’.
Seasonal cyclones are not unusual in the Pilbara, so when Mia’s mother is called out to help a mare with a complicated labour, they think she’ll only be gone a day at the most. However, Cyclone Veronica has other ideas! Mia finds herself alone as the cyclone intensifies and bears down on their property.
We learn that Mia suffers from anxiety, specifically climate anxiety, and has been seeing a counsellor who has taught her ‘ways to manage symptoms before they take hold’. She calls on these skills as she faces not only a cyclone, but a badly injured horse and rising flood-water, alone!
Mia may be facing a natural disaster, but she is also dealing with the usual concerns of a thirteen year old: do her friends still like her or are they falling under the spell of the new, fashionable girl at school? Will she be able to give her presentation to her English class without having an anxiety attack?
Readers will find Mia a relatable character, who is not fearless, but rather draws on her inner strength to overcome her fears so she can stay safe and save her beloved animals.
The book contains a detailed timeline of Cyclone Veronica’s impact on Australia, together with a list of resources if readers would like to explore more about the many issues raised by the story.
Teaching resources are available from the publisher and is recommended for ages 11 – 14.
The Through My Eyes series is a great way to introduce young readers to characters whose lives are impacted by conflict and natural disasters. More information about the series is here.
Reviewed by Gaby Meares
