On hope, by Daisy Jeffrey

Title: On hope
Author: Daisy Jeffrey
Genre/ issues: Non-fiction. Memoir. Environmental issues. Youth activism.

Non-fiction is not really a genre I delve into very often, but in the interests of picking up the pace in my 2020 Reading Challenge I decided to give this one a go. Written by Daisy Jeffrey as part of the Hachette Australia Little Books, Big Ideas series, it’s a compelling discursive piece on the power of hope, believing you can make a difference, and putting that belief into action. Daisy is 17 years old, and is one of the key leaders of the Students for Climate Change actions that have been gaining prominence over the past year or so.  It’s a fascinating insight into how you balance everyday concerns (family, friends, school) with a desire to change the world for the better – or at least, call on those with the power to do so to step up and do their jobs. I particularly love Daisy’s thoughts on the dangers of only hearing the voices of people who think like you, but balancing this with the need to recognise that at some point, truth matters. A powerful piece of writing from a writer who is dealing with her HSC right now – it’s just been added to the #nswprc booklists as well, so if you’ve got students taking part in that pick this up for them to read, then have a read yourself!

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 18/52

Happy reading,