Just So Stories

Scholastic Australia

July 2024

Imprint: Omnibus Books

ISBN: 9781761203251

ISBN-10: 1761203258

RRP: $15.99

Well, we all know that Tania Ingram is a gifted writer, particularly of humorous fiction – just witness the runaway success of Aggie Flea [why, oh why are we not getting more Aggie, I ask?]. With this new MG novel, Tania proves her versatility as a truly masterful author with a compelling and emotive exploration of a family torn apart by grief and mental illness.

I took this book to bed last night intending to read a little before sleep and an hour later, had finished it with tears in my eyes (second time this year that’s happened!).

When Thomas’ dad died (cancer), things really started to fall apart for himself and his little sister, as their mother descended into a depression so deep that the children were completely neglected – no food left, no money to buy any, clothes unwashed, house in chaos, mother in bed or missing for hours.

Thomas does his very best to protect little Tilly, even as he struggles himself. He has one secret that sustains him. On the day his dad died, the Other Shadow appeared. A tall thin man-shape with a mop of curly hair, the Other Shadow becomes Thomas’ constant companion, and his only solace.

His and Tilly’s situation cannot go unnoticed forever fortunately, and children’s services step in when it becomes apparent to authorities that their mother is in dire need of support. So begins some see-sawing between short-term foster care and a mother whose mental health has stabilised temporarily with medication, and things seem to be a little better for Thomas and Tilly.

But here’s the thing. Life doesn’t always have a fairy-tale ending. I know that from thirty years of teaching and having children in my care with some of the saddest backstories of trauma, grief, neglect and poor parenting, and I know it from my own personal experience with the mental illness and other issues The Kid’s mum had, which obviously impacted on that small person’s little self.

Thomas and Tilly, after some false starts, find themselves in the care of a loving and generous couple who completely get the trauma, along with foster-siblings, Em and Ollie. All four children are far better off in this placement than with their natural parents. That’s a fact that sometimes is inescapable. Thomas’ mum has bipolar disorder and you can take it from me, it’s not an easy condition with which to be in close proximity. While she is on medication, things will and do level but when she chooses to ignore that medical advice and intervention, her condition nosedives so dramatically, that she puts her children in terrible danger. And you know what?… kids can’t deal with this relentless high anxiety, stress and danger, and they shouldn’t have to. And it takes a long, long time – if ever – for them to heal from it.

There are some people (and, of course, depending on the type of mental condition and any co-morbidities) that just don’t get well enough to care for their children, or live a ‘normal’ life, or even live at all 😔.

Thomas’ bravery and resilience under the most difficult of circumstances, even as he deals with his own grief over his father, is remarkable, and the Other Shadow is his personal backstop. He contrives his own support person, when he has no one else to whom to turn and then, finally, when he has Ari and Becca, Em and Ollie to embrace and keep him safe, he can let the Other Shadow go.

This is a book that will go straight to the heart, and will remain with the reader for a very long time. I believe it is a book that will speak to those children who are in the most fraught of circumstances, and will give others an insight into the tragedy of some families.

As educators, and I cannot say it often enough, we have a moral duty to develop empathy, compassion and kindness in the kids with whom we work. We know kids can be unkind so we need to enlighten them to facts like not everyone has someone to wash their clothes, or pack them a smorgasbord lunch in a fancy lunchbox, and give them some insight into how things can go terribly wrong, through nobody’s fault.

I want to thank Tania for being brave enough to dig deep into this issue, for not holding back on the facts, and for not giving the reader a fairy-tale ending. That takes guts, especially in this climate of sugar-coating and shielding – so all kudos for taking readers a step closer to realising true empathy.

One of my all-time favourite and deeply moving books is the much-acclaimed (and similarly themed) Goodnight, Mister Tom, and to my mind, Tania’s The Other Shadow is of equal stature. It is a book that deserves to be on any awards list.

I cannot urge you strongly enough to get hold of it – I know the cover is not one that jumps up and grabs you – but this is the time for discerning readers to look past that and walk a mile in another kid’s shoes.

My absolute highest rating 5 👤👤👤👤👤….and biggest congratulations to Tania.