The Other Side of Goodbye

by Adrienne Ferguson

Year 9 and 10 

Inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which is currently enjoying a comeback in youth culture, Adrienne Ferguson tackles relevant topics such as loss, grief, friendship and anxiety disorders with great sensitivity and humour in The Other Side of Goodbye.

Since the sudden death of her father, sixteen-year-old Ella has found it difficult to socialise. To make matters worse, she is also plagued by periodic panic attacks. Father and daughter were very close and shared a love of music and Greek mythology, with the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice being Ella's favourite story. As her mother has also been emotionally overwhelmed by the loss, the two have been unable to process their grief together. On the eve of the first anniversary of her father's death, the trickster spirit Alix appears to Ella to help her through the coming day as a kind of personal spirit guide.