The Way Home
Author: Trudy Meehan, PhD, D. Clinical Psych., writer; Fergal O’Connor, illustrator
Format: Paperback
Pages: 28
Publish Date: March 2025
Publisher: RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland
Catalog ID: ISBN: 978-0992691172
Where to buy: https://thewayhomebook.myshopify.com/
Author website: https://drtrudymeehan.com/
Additional info: Where to download a free pdf copy: https://repository.rcsi.com/articles/book/The_Way_Home/29304899?file=57128378; Illustrator's website: https://fergoconnor.com/about
Review
by Jane Burns
Content Advisory: This book contains an inferred suicide. The crisis Lifeline number in the U.S. and Canada is 988, in the U.K. it’s 999; Irish suicide crisis information – The Samaritans – 1161 23 and for elsewhere go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines.
Stories about grief and loss and dealing with these experiences are never easy to engage with. The Way Home offers a gentle approach to the subject through the exploration of the experiences of the characters. The book is written on many levels, one for adults to read on their own or to children or for young readers to read on their own. The story is set with a father as an astronaut who goes to space on a mission. He has an accident and is lost. All of his communication resources are impaired. He gets confused and is uncertain if his messages are getting out or if anyone is even coming to help him. This setting of space created enough distance for the reader to be buffered from the full impact of the story. At times heart-breaking and scary the theme of hope and the pull of home (whether that be people, a state of mind or a physical place comes through.
Beautifully illustrated with stunning scenes of outer space adds to the story.
The prompts illustrated through out try to reflect what the lost astronaut might be thinking and the feelings of those left behind and those who are en route to a rescue. All communication is lost on all levels. For example, while floating in space the following interaction is lost
He feels sick with the worries, and he can’t find a cure, for the sadness that stops him, trust they’re coming for sure
Don’t give up- Wait for us… stay…stay…
There is help on the way, and love all around. But his mind’s playing tricks, says, “You’ll never be found.
The story concludes with an option for the reader to create their own idea of what happens next by either writing or drawing the ending on included creative panels.
Reviewer
Jane Burns is the Director of Education & Public Engagement at the Technological University of Ireland in Ireland who is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at Dublin City University researching the Role of Graphic Medicine. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeaburns/ ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8708-5083
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