Parents don’t just disappear……do they?
500 miles over land, sea and wild country. Why did Mum go to this remote island?
Mission: Find Mum is a middle grade/pre-teen adventure story about two children from Birmingham looking for their mum on a remote Scottish island.
12-year old Isla MacLean’s Mum has disappeared. With her eight-year old brother, Isla traces her to a Scottish island, where they meet 17-year old Archie. Fighting hostile weather, wild elements and suspicious adults, they find Mum and discover her secret about their missing Dad. Completing the mission helps hearing-impaired Isla to work out how to live with uncomfortable layers of truth without compromising her own self.
Set in a wild landscape, it deals with contemporary themes of environment, emotions, disability and family origins. Overcoming seemingly impossible barriers, the children take risks to sort things out, thereby understanding their feelings and adult behaviour. With an undercurrent of mental health struggles, it fits the current awareness of children's need for support to understand these issues.
I loved this beautiful, gripping, realistic story about a brave girl and her little brother on a seemingly impossible quest. It’s a totally unpredictable rollercoaster from start to finish. There’s a wonderful sense of place, and the ending satisfied me completely.
- Clare Weze, author of The Lightning Catcher and The Storm Swimmer
Amazing, flabbergasting, mindbogglingly wonderful and a great storyline.
- Lily, age 11
I couldn’t put it down! The whole plot was original and refreshing! It addressed the issues of mental health in parents, a child with a disability and the effect that stress and anxiety can have on a child.
- Sarah Wimperis, Principal of Westwood Academy, Oldham
Through the warmly engaging voice of twelve-year-old Isla, Jo Somerset has created an ever-deepening mystery and adventure. This is a unique, sensitively told tale with a vivid setting, dynamic characters and so much to offer to readers aged 10+. I was genuinely hooked, right the way to the end.
- Jennifer Burkinshaw, author of Igloo and Happiness Seeker
