Not having grown up in Australia, I wondered if I could pull off such a particularly Aussie story. It was fun researching social and cultural references and playing with creating Jimmy’s quirky sayings.
Jimmy’s friend and mentor, Mac, was inspired by the men and women pushing trolleys and pulling bags of ‘treasure’ through every major city. My Dad, a vicar, sometimes let homeless men sleep in our house. Encountering these people when you are a child can be confronting. I hope through getting to know Mac, children will begin to understand that everybody has a name, everybody has a story.
The music of Elvis forms the backdrop to important moments of Jimmy’s story. Both Mac and his late wife Lizzy loved Elvis, and it is through Mac’s passion and nostalgia that Jimmy learns valuable coping strategies. Helping Jimmy along are his new school friend Debby – in her ‘call a shovel, a shovel,’ way – plus there are caring adults, teacher Ms Anna Smith and shopkeeper Mr Ransom. Together, they have Jimmy’s back – even if he doesn’t know it.
In creating this story, I drew on my personal experience around both a parent suffering depression when I was twelve, and my own journey with mental health as an adult. I also reflected on how families are affected as a whole when someone is struggling, not only from mental health but also grief, loneliness, exhaustion, inadequacy, racism, regret and so much more.
At the time of writing, around 8.6 million Australians have experienced a mental health disorder during their lifetime. I hope that this book opens up conversation, or helps a reader of any age to recognise that for themselves, or for others, it is a good thing to reach out for help.
Overall, Jimmy and Mac’s story is about hope, perseverance, resilience, and the power of friendship. I hope you enjoy it; the ups, the downs, the muddy bits and the shiny bits.
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