Surviving White Island and Everything that Came After

by Kelsey Waghorn

Surviving the unsurvivable. Healing from the unhealable. This is an inspiring memoir of physical and mental recovery, from someone who lived through the Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption.


"I heard someone say, 'Wow!' And someone else exclaimed, 'Look at that!' I had my back to the crater. I turned around. The moment I saw it, I knew what was happening.

The island was erupting. An enormous black-and-grey plume was rising above the island, already higher than the peak. It was beautiful actually, set against the bright blue sky.

Kelsey Waghorn, a guide on Whakaari White Island on that ill-fated day in December 2019, tells her story for the first time, from physical rehab for her life-threatening burns to her mental struggle with PTSD.

Written by a brave and powerful woman with a wicked sense of humour, this is an uplifting story of strength, perseverance, acceptance and hope.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook

Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2026

Reviews

[Sophie Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible and inspiring recap of Kelsey’s story. I could not put this book down. The Waghorn/Christie humour shines through this book and no doubt made a huge impact on the pace of Kelsey’s recovery. Thank you for sharing your story with us Kels, forever inspired by you and your incredible family.

[Delcie Berry]

A very interesting read about Kelsey’s experiences surrounding White Island. It felt very personal, particularly in part 2 which is told in text message and diary form and allowed a lot of insight. I really appreciated the focus on PTSD and the balance between physical and mental recovery was well portrayed. The tone of the book felt very Kiwi, and the humour throughout was a great glimpse into Kelsey’s personality.

[Asha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a powerful read.

I’ve always had a bit of a morbid curiosity about volcanoes. It probably comes from a mix of my childhood love of The Land Before Time, a slightly traumatic experience in the Auckland Museum volcano room (what a horrible place), and growing up in a country that sits on the Ring of Fire.

I still remember coming home on December 9th and watching the news coverage of the White Island eruption. I was so disturbed that something like this was happening to our small New Zealand community.

When Netflix released the documentary about it, I felt compelled to watch and hear the survivors’ stories—and I felt the same way about this book.

As soon as I saw that HarperCollins was publishing Kelsey’s story, I knew I had to add it to my TBR. When I found out the audiobook was narrated by Kelsey herself, that made me want to read it even more.

Kelsey is an incredibly strong person. The fact that she was able to relive everything that happened and share her story is remarkable. I found myself tearing up while listening and felt deeply connected to both the story and to her.

Part two was especially interesting, hearing about her recovery process, along with the messages and communication between family members, made it feel even more real and personal.

Overall, this was a deeply emotional and eye-opening read that really stayed with me. It not only highlights the devastating impact of the eruption, but also the resilience, strength, and love that can come out of such unimaginable tragedy. It’s not an easy story to take in, but it’s an important one, and one that I think will stick with me for a long time.

[K!mmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very emotional to read what Kelsey's went through and to read in more detail about her journey from when White Island erupted to now. I often had tears in my eyes and a big lump in my throat as I went to High School with her, been on White Island a few times myself, and knew some of the people she had mentioned throughout her book. The mention of her therapy encounters with EMDR hit hard. Thank you for opening up and sharing this with us who followed your journey from far.

[Lorna1984]

I don't rate memoirs, but this must be one of the best memoirs I have read. I loved the format of it - with the text messages and notebook entries.
Pretty sure I went through every emotion reading this. Please read this!!

[Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resilent, brave, scary, real.

Couldn't be anything but 5 stars. I hope Kelsey has many more travel trips locked in her diary ❤️ And many dog cuddles!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really affecting account of a horrific event - Kelsey’s resilience is inspiring.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally brilliantly written book by Kelsey. So raw & honest. What a very strong lady to have gone through what she’s gone through (and still going through).

[Soo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish. A couple problems with this book - the author narrating the book herself - she is NOT a good narrator. And the tedious account of all text messages between her family/friends whilst the author was in ICU,read verbatim. It was incredibly boring way to tell the story. If would have been far more interesting and engaging if these messages had been summarised into a narrative. The author was even reading out the “xx” at the end of messages!
I gave up after this.
I have read better books on the human cost of this disaster.

[Swati · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that stays with you long after you close the final page.

Thank you, Kelsey, for sharing your story with such honesty and depth. I’m genuinely short of words. The courage it takes to write something this raw — this real — is immense.

Part 3 especially felt deeply reflective and affirming. The exploration of trauma, healing, and rebuilding yourself after life shatters was incredibly powerful. As someone who has worked through PTSD and experienced marital domestic abuse, I found myself connecting to parts of your journey in unexpected ways.

When your therapist said that you’ve done the work on yourself — and that it can become harder to find people on the same frequency — it truly struck me. I heard almost the exact same words in my own therapy session recently. That parallel felt surreal.

I also loved the footnotes — they added such a human, intimate layer to the narrative.

This memoir is reflective, encouraging, and deeply courageous. It’s not just about surviving an unimaginable event — it’s about everything that comes after. And that part matters just as much.

This is a must-read.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful read, and I absolutely loved the chapter made up of text messages between Kelsey's family during her hospitalization. It took me right back to when my Dad was in the ICU and how slowly time seems to move and how every little improvement and setback feels so immediate and huge. Ugh, it was lovely to read about how supported and loved Kelsey was, but I'm glad I knew going in that she would be okay in the end because that section was intense. I also loved her cheeky little footnotes. She has a great sense of humour. This book was absolutely devastating and wonderful at the same time.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a heartbreaking, hopeful, emotional and endearing read. This was a very personal and honest insight into both the lead up to the eruption, during the eruption and what came after. Part 2 really showed the affect that events like this have no the wider circle as well as the victim.

This was a book that needed to constantly be put down and sit with what you just read and it deserves to be read that way because this is such a confronting story about such a horrific and fateful day that it’s hard to not need to stop and feel the emotions this story brings. It is such a story of the kiwi spirit that makes you feel - happy, sad and everything in between.

This is one of those books that stays with you long after you close the book for the last time. It is a story of love, family, resilience and the need to never give up even when every inch of your body and mind says too.

The writing style was very unique. Part two is told through group chats, text messages and journal entires which added a lot of depth to it. As did all the incredible and hilarious footnotes.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelsey Waghorn was working as a tour guide on White Island. She had been working in this position for five years before the eruption. According to Waghorn, the day was a normal, run of the mill day, until White Island decided to erupt. The rest of the guides and two groups of tourists were caught in a pyroclastic surge, which rolled through and boiled their skin. Waghorn was taken with a group of survivors on another tour boat that returned. The tourists on that boat worked to keep everyone calm and help rinse ash from their bodies. Waghorn was whisked to the hospital to begin her recovery. She endured infections, surgeries, grafts, and mental anguish during her stay. I am glad that she was able to overcome this disaster, and I appreciate her sharing her story. If you have watched the Netflix documentary, read Stephanie Browitt's book, or are just interested in disasters, I would recommend picking this one up.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Surviving White Island by @kezzelsify

Thank you @harpercollinsnz for sending me this one to review early.

I grew up in the Bay of Plenty so when I saw that Kelsey was writing her story on the White Island Eruption I knew I had to read it.

Kelsey tells her story in such a captivating way but also with a touch of her own humour. This book really showed how we shouldn’t take life for granted and how it can all change in an instant.

I don’t want to summarise too much more as it is Kelsey’s story to tell but I really liked how it touched on mental health and the realities of facing a life altering event like the White Island Eruption.

I would highly highly recommend reading Kelsey’s memoir when it is out on NZ shelves this week 🥰

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.
I found the first section of the book very interesting and I knew that had I been in that vicinity I would certainly have jumped at the chance to walk on White Island as so many tourists had done. The third section was a moving and open description of the mental illness caused by a traumatic event and certainly worth reading.
However the 146 pages of section 2, verbatim messages between family about Kelsey's condition, needed serious culling. "Good to hear medical team are the best. Be strong Kelsey. Such a hard time now" multiplied over and over took up almost half of the book. Less than a third of those family messages would have been plenty, using just those giving actual details of her recovery.

[Margaret Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.Rhe journey that Kelsey has been on and still negotiating is truly inspiring.
The Burns journey section is mainly taken from her family and the nurses recall of her sray in ICU in Hutt hospital Burns unit. You are with Kelsey as she fights tge pain and her feelings and remembering of that day On White Island. Tge 3rd section deals with other demons that surface and the different problems that brings.
Break up of relationships forging if new ones. Her dog River and her close family with her every step of the way.
Tge tricks and persistence of media another problem yo over come. What really happened well as Kelley said you heard it from her.

[laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this memoir in approx 2ish hours and could not put it down. What an incredible story of Kelsey's bravery and strength as a survivor of the NZ White Island eruption in 2019. The text messages from the family groupchats while Kelsey was in the hospital were such a great addition to the book and showed the reality of what they were facing. You can also tell the amount of gratitude Kelsey has for the medical staff and her family during the whole book. Also, loved the hilarious footnotes at the end of each page.

[Alex Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t so much a review, because how do you give feedback on the most traumatising thing in another person’s life? It’s more of a kick up the bum to tell you to go read this. Kelsey Waghorn was severely injured while doing her job as a tour guide on White Island, when it erupted. This book follows her life leading up to the event, the horrific event, her long recovery fueled by her amazing attitude, sense of humour and determination, and life after.
Highly recommend the audio, read by Kelsey herself.
An incredibly inspiring and emotional read 🥹♥️

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you get the chance to listen to Kelsey’s audiobook, it’s an absolute privilege to have her read her story to you. I choked up every time I could hear the emotion in her voice and as she read messages and updates from her family. It felt like I was meeting up with a friend and she was telling me in person. As a Hutt resident, and having spent a little time at the Hutt hospital, I could picture that moment as she described making it outside.
Thank you Kelsey for sharing this really real and raw snapshot of your life with us.

[Anne Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very personal story, largely told by Kelsey Waghorn (the survivor) and partially by her family and friends through the transcripts of their messenger group as they provide support to Kelsey and themselves in the immediate days of her recovery.

What surprised me most about Kelsey's story is that, in some ways her physical recovery (as gruelling as it is) hasn't been the hardest part. Before I read this I assumed that this was what her recovery was about. It was truely insightful (and quite heartbreaking) to read of the psychological impact the trauma had on Kelsey and on her relationships, and the journey to finding a way to move through this.

Love and admiration for Kelsey and all those involved in her journey.

[Clare Smith]

Fascinating read and first hand account of this event. A reminder of how powerful the human drive to survive is, and an inspirational glimpse into Kelsey's experiences.

For me the reproduced text messages were too difficult to read so unfortunately I had to flick through and get the gist. I'm sure I did the story a disservice by doing this.

Amazing story Kelsey, thank you for the bravery and effort in sharing it.

[Scott Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read, for the voyeuristic of us who were looking for details on what happened that day in Dec 2019, and what the recovery and medical treatment looks like for survivors of volcanic eruptions, but where this book really shines is the final third as Kelsey describes her mental struggles, eventual recovery and shows us how devastating PTSD really is.

[Laura Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Kelsey for sharing your story in such a raw and honest way - and not giving into the mainstream media vultures, this was a real eye-opener to the relentlessness of the media. You are such an inspiring woman.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful account of Kelsey’s experiences with the Whakaari/white island eruption. Her book is an incredible account which walks you through the event, and then the difficulties of recovery afterwards. Cool to see some mentions of her trip to South Georgia with the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

[Bettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a powerful and captivating book. I found Kelsey’s story so inspiring. I also found it interesting learning how burns are treated. What a wonderful and supportive family Kelsey has. A must read.

⭐️ I give this book 5 stars ⭐️

[Liz Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and hard to put down. Fascinating glimpse into a tragedy few experience, with a great dive into what comes after. 10/10.

[Nadine Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book will stay with me for a long time. It's hard to imagine what Kelsey must have gone through but what an inspiration she is!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this book down. Such an inspiring story.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I couldn’t put this book down. What a beautiful story of survival and endurance. I loved that you could see Kelsey’s humor coming through the pages!

[Hannah Frew · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book I devoured it in one sitting. A truly inspiring women.