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Flying Blind
In Flying Blind, musical 15-year-old Essie is missing her dad; her friend at school is treating her strangely and a new boy with an army of siblings moves into their coastal town from the Outback.
If this isn’t enough to deal with, a junior lifesaver sweeps her out of the sea when she’s hightailing it to the shore after sighting a fin. It was a dolphin after all, so she wasn’t really in trouble.
Does that mean he likes her?
Sometimes searching for significance and trying to fit in will lead to blind loyalties before we can recognise our true friends.
If this isn’t enough to deal with, a junior lifesaver sweeps her out of the sea when she’s hightailing it to the shore after sighting a fin. It was a dolphin after all, so she wasn’t really in trouble.
Does that mean he likes her?
Sometimes searching for significance and trying to fit in will lead to blind loyalties before we can recognise our true friends.
180 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2022
About the author
Rosanne Hawke
60 books94 followersWhen little I ran around with a jotter and a pencil, pretending to write a story but not knowing how to spell any words except Dick, Dora and cat. My mother asked me to tell stories. A lot of my stories stayed in my head, as being the youngest and living in the country didn't bring many opportunities for an audience. I was born in Penola, in South Australia. We had a sheep farm until I was six, then we moved to a property in Central Queensland. I went to school at a one-teacher school in Banana, a little country town named after a bullock.
My first short story was published in the Moura State School magazine in 1967 when I was in grade 8. At 14 years, I moved back to South Australia and attended Gawler High School where I won an Arts Scholarship to complete Years 11 & 12. I started a romantic novel when I was 17 but I burnt it later.
It wasn't until I was working in the Middle East and Pakistan, teaching ESL, bringing up kids, when I started to write seriously. My kids loved the story game we played and one night after telling a story, my daughter asked me to write it down.
I have a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide and teach Creative Writing at Tabor Adelaide, South Australia, a Christian accredited tertiary institution. I have researched Cornish identity in Australian children's literature and enjoy writing about culture, faith, relationships, displacement and belonging, music and cats.
My first short story was published in the Moura State School magazine in 1967 when I was in grade 8. At 14 years, I moved back to South Australia and attended Gawler High School where I won an Arts Scholarship to complete Years 11 & 12. I started a romantic novel when I was 17 but I burnt it later.
It wasn't until I was working in the Middle East and Pakistan, teaching ESL, bringing up kids, when I started to write seriously. My kids loved the story game we played and one night after telling a story, my daughter asked me to write it down.
I have a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide and teach Creative Writing at Tabor Adelaide, South Australia, a Christian accredited tertiary institution. I have researched Cornish identity in Australian children's literature and enjoy writing about culture, faith, relationships, displacement and belonging, music and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 31, 2023
A book for young adults and older teens.
Eseld's father loved the adventures of King Arthur and named her for Tristan's love interest in the Cornish version of Tristan and Isolde. Essie is 15 and she's in a dilemma. She's let one of the in-group at school control her life, so much so that she's allowed herself to be dominated by what Chloe wants and thinks and approves of. Essie's desperate to connect back with her dad who used to be such fun but who, since he got a promotion, seems to have no time for anyone. He doesn't even answer her text messages to him any more. In fact, when she finally decides to ring him and the phone is picked up, there's a woman who claims the phone is hers and asks her to please stop texting.
Essie is also desperately keen to get to know Ryan Kitto, a life-saver who seems interested in her. But, for some mysterious reason, Chloe seems to be the gate-keeper on that relationship. And Chloe keeps involving her in activities she's uncomfortable with: a movie night that turns into a soft porn show; adult clubbing that requires fake IDs.
Meantime Jowan Tallack has arrived at Essie's school from a farm in the Outback. He's got lots of brothers and sisters who he minds at the beach; he's easy to talk to; knows a lot about Arthurian legend; meets her at church and youth group; poses an old Anglo-Saxon riddle for her to solve; involves her in the band he's starting - and doesn't think she's wise to go clubbing when the band is supposed to be on its final practice. He's far from impressed with Ryan Kitto... but hardly knows how to warn Essie that everything may not be as she thinks it is.
A finely crafted story.
Eseld's father loved the adventures of King Arthur and named her for Tristan's love interest in the Cornish version of Tristan and Isolde. Essie is 15 and she's in a dilemma. She's let one of the in-group at school control her life, so much so that she's allowed herself to be dominated by what Chloe wants and thinks and approves of. Essie's desperate to connect back with her dad who used to be such fun but who, since he got a promotion, seems to have no time for anyone. He doesn't even answer her text messages to him any more. In fact, when she finally decides to ring him and the phone is picked up, there's a woman who claims the phone is hers and asks her to please stop texting.
Essie is also desperately keen to get to know Ryan Kitto, a life-saver who seems interested in her. But, for some mysterious reason, Chloe seems to be the gate-keeper on that relationship. And Chloe keeps involving her in activities she's uncomfortable with: a movie night that turns into a soft porn show; adult clubbing that requires fake IDs.
Meantime Jowan Tallack has arrived at Essie's school from a farm in the Outback. He's got lots of brothers and sisters who he minds at the beach; he's easy to talk to; knows a lot about Arthurian legend; meets her at church and youth group; poses an old Anglo-Saxon riddle for her to solve; involves her in the band he's starting - and doesn't think she's wise to go clubbing when the band is supposed to be on its final practice. He's far from impressed with Ryan Kitto... but hardly knows how to warn Essie that everything may not be as she thinks it is.
A finely crafted story.
February 20, 2025
Four and a half stars. A well-written teen novel dealing with several major themes - controlling relationships, forming values as a teen, self-esteem and more. I enjoyed reading it although I rarely enjoy teen books.
July 9, 2024
A compelling story beautifully told. Love the setting (beachside SA) and the main character. Great uplifting story for teens. It deals gently and realistically with some tough issues.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews