Although slow to start, I ended up really loving this and feeling moved by this story.

From the blurb, you could be forgiven for thinking this a tongue-in-cheek sci fi parody, but it’s not that at all. This is a fantastic tonic to the male-dominated science fiction genre and the intellectual male gaze.

I’m not religious, but I felt the deep bonds between women of faith away from Earth trying to do their best to assist those in need. Their individual contrasting backgrounds and complex futures, while tackling big issues of humanity, faith, animal ethics and imperialism, was really well done here within such a short book. I loved these characters, and I loved that they lived within and took genuine care for a living entity - a giant slug flying through space, no less.

Very impressed, and straight on to the sequel!

As a fellow sufferer of ME/CFS, this packs a punch. Tessa has ME/CFS and conveys what daily life is like for us, though it does differ for everyone. I, just as a single example, have way more memory loss and cognitive difficulties than it appears Tessa has. But all of the essential symptoms she shares, I have. It’s incredibly emotional to see your life reflected in a book, in a memoir of someone just like you. Especially when you’re isolated.

I love the way Tessa’s quirky humour shines through as an irrepressible part of her life, even in the darker days. Her illustrations are detailed and pull you in to her world. I got choked up a few times at: rather be freezing in the woods than stuck in bed like this; the mysterious calendar timetable on which you operate; the cat on the roof. I had fun studying “the tower” two-page spread. Clearly she’d been ruminating on that one for a while, hah!

I would have loved to see how she deals with household chores, navigating bureaucracy for disability benefits while having zero energy, and other everyday activities. But I guess there’s only so much you can fit in and expect all kinds of readers to engage with.

I’m really thankful that Tessa had the energy, drive, and talent to create something that depicts the real life of someone with ME/CFS. This illness is a living death that forces us to stay silent by its very symptoms. We’re disbelieved, misdiagnosed, gaslit and given barely any funding for research. There is no cure, there is no treatment. Often there is no disability support. There are millions of us. Anyone with ME/CFS who is able to speak publicly on the subject is making a huge sacrifice of their health in order to help all of us. Thank you, Tessa.

You can find out more about ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) at:

• Emerge Australia (https://emerge.org.au)
• #MEAction Network (https://www.meaction.net)

🎧Audiobook

Honestly, I believe our world would be infinitely healthier, happier and meaningful if we just changed our way of being to a matriarchal society with an ecological economy, based upon indigenous thinking.

Thank you, Robin W. K. Listening to you was like a warm hug from a favourite aunty 💗