Wipe Out

When Billy dreams about his fun-loving mother, surfing champion Kitten Brown, she is bathed in a yellow, shining light. When he wakes, he remembers that she is dead and his world is filled with never-ending grey. Billy is sent to stay with Auntie Mary, a staid and frugal widow, while his father deals with his own grief and makes the funeral preparations. Billy feels that the colour will never return to his life. But perhaps aunt and nephew can help each other more than they realise. Thebo’s debut novel deals positively with its sad subject, exploring themes of loss, grief, coping and recovery. Her economical and poetic prose style emotes genuine empathy for Billy, his father and Auntie Mary. Warmly recommended.