“Informed by Smith’s time teaching asylum seekers, [The Pull of the Moon] tackles issues of grief, trauma, the wider picture around asylum seekers, Australia’s detention of displaced people, compassion and empathy. While it’s not all grim – Coralie is also dealing with average teenage issues – it’s a story for younger readers that doesn’t shy away from complex topics, engagingly written with an ear for realistic teen voices.”
“A powerful new book that doesn’t shy away from tough discussions... Pip Smith handles [the 2010 Christmas Island boat disaster] expertly, not shying away from tragedy, but presenting the story in a way that is digestible for younger readers.”
The Pull of the Moon
In late 2018 I received a grant to write a “literary novella for young adults set on Christmas Island”. Six and a half years, two trips to Christmas Island, two picture books, and two more kids later, The Pull of the Moon was published by UWAP.
This was a novel that needed years of research, and many games of literary Tetris to get right.
Below are some interviews I’ve given and reviews of the book that might help give interested readers an insight into the process of writing the book, and the content of the book itself.
I’ve thrown in a slide show of pictures I took during my various trips to the Island - it’s such an incredible place, and I encourage anyone and everyone to pay a visit at some point in their lives!
Media links:
Books & Publishing, Review, March 18, 2025
Readings, Review, May 30, 2025
Good Reading, Interview, June 2025
Abbey’s Bookshop, Review, June 2025
Reading, Writing & Riesling, Review, June 3, 2025
Australian Arts Review, Interview, June 3, 2025
Blue Wolf Review, Review, June 13, 2025
Your Kids Next Read Podcast, ‘Friday First Chapter’, Reading, June 13, 2025
“This is one of the most powerful novels of loss and the urge to do something in the face of the impossible I’ve read in a long time. The harshness of life for the people on the island is juxtaposed with the natural cycles of the birds and insects and crabs that inhabit the island, and the writing about the animal life is not sentimental but has a certain lyricism. The confusion Coralie feels about herself, her parents, and the impact of the refugees feels true, and the ending is both unforced and believable.
This should win awards; it’s written about a 13yo but it could be read by adults as easily as by teenagers – and should be.”
