The story is told by Simone, a ten year old whose father has died unexpectedly. The family deal with grief in different ways but resolve their struggle. A magical book with a streak of Australian pragmatism.
The first time I heard him call was the evening after we'd been to the cemetery. I'd stood at his grave and watched the ants crawling across the dry earth, their pinhole nests perforated the red soil. It was too scary, I'd said to myself, meaning the ants.
'Don't worry about the ants.' That's what I heard him say.
I replied in my own mind. They're everywhere, why are there so many? Meaning, is that you I'm talking to?'
'They're busy,' he'd said. 'Yes, it's me.'
