Kindling by Darren Groth

This is a small book at 225 pages, but one that tells an important story. The main characters in the story are ten year old Kieran and his father, Nate. Kieran’s mother, Felicity, died tragically in a house fire five years before while trying to save Kieran and there is a mystery surrounding the circumstances of her death. Nate is a talented musician, and at the time of Felicity’s death, he and his band had just got their big break with one of their songs rising up the music charts. Nate spent his days travelling with his band, giving interviews and generally enjoying the life of an up and coming band, but that is all in the past now as Nate has taken over the parenting role – one with more than the usual challenges as Kieran has autism.

The story starts with Nate and Kieran on a typical weekend afternoon for many families – getting together with their friends for a barbeque. In the distance, a bush fire on a far hillside is threatening houses in the next suburb, and everyone, including Kieran, has been listening to the media for reports on its progress. Then, Nate can’t find Kieran. Where has he gone and why? Did he hear is father talking to his friends about the secret Nate has been shielding Keiran from for the last five years? This is not simply a case of a missing child. Kieran’s autism means that he doesn’t behave like other children would and his view of the world is one which is very different. Will Nate lose Kieran to fire after all?

What makes this book special is that it is told through two voices – that of Nate coming to grips with the challenges of being the father of a child with autism, and Kieran, whose voice gives us wonderful insights into how people with autism are “wired differently” (as the author says in the book). Darren Groth has impeccable credentials for writing about a child with autism – his own son has autism and Kieran is a combination of the children he has been around for many years. I particularly loved how the voice of Kieran puzzles over some of the statements his father makes. For example, when being told he is not allowed out on the deck without an adult, he thinks:

“I don’t know why Dad says this because I don’t want to act like “a bloody stuntman”.

This is a wonderful story, beautifully written and thought provoking, and made me feel that I just had to keep reading to find how Nate and Kieran’s story ended. It sensitively explores the challenges and rewards of parenting a child with autism and helps foster our empathy with people who are different from us, generally giving the reader a greater appreciation for the world of autism. Highly recommended and one for book clubs to consider, the book contains reading group notes at the end.