Cyclone Bola

What a great time to reissue this story!

So many Kiwi kids can relate to the devastation caused by the floods caused by Cyclone Bola after the floods and cyclones at the start of 2023. For some, the story may bring back too many memories, for others who were outside of the worst of the storms, they will be able to relate to the recent weather events and understand more about those as well as the historic events.

Beattie starts by drawing the reader into the life of a young girl sent to live in rural Gisborne from her Auckland home. Amy has to write a diary as well as letters to her teacher in Auckland and this explains why she is writing in so much detail about the land, the lifestyle and the weather. I felt that the style felt a little forced initially, giving too much information. It did pay off and the information was used in the long run.

The relationships with Amy’s family in her adopted hometown are beautifully described, as are her friendships. Once disaster strikes, the tension is high as you care about them, the vineyard they work, the animals they care for and the local town. And the relationships are so caring you can see all that people do to help each other get through.

This surprised me by turning into a very powerful story. It has photos and additional facts as an appendix showing the real effects of former-cyclone Bola on the Gisborne area.

Advisory warning: This may be difficult for students who were badly affected by recent cyclones / ex-cyclones or major flooding.