This beautifully written verse novel set in Melbourne is a chronicle of the pandemic’s impact on teenagers and a powerful testament to the transformative power of art.

Grace is a violinist, like her father and also her beloved grandmother, who played professionally. Her gran is now in a nursing home and Grace goes in daily to play for her. She longs to play the violin professionally, but her strict mother wants her to focus on a ‘serious’ career.

James is an artist – his medium is the walls of his parents’ garage, and his tools are spray cans. His father, who works with troubled youths, provides the spray cans but makes James promise never to paint on the streets. However, when James meets a street artist, he can’t resist the opportunity to paint a wall in Hosier Lane. The image he paints is one he found on YouTube of a girl playing the violin in an empty tram. The girl is, of course, Grace. When the two finally meet, the friendship gives each of them the strength to deal with the heartbreaks of lockdown and question the restrictions imposed by their parents.

I can’t recommend this stunning debut novel highly enough. It explores the challenges imposed by the pandemic but is also a beautiful rendering of how much we need art to sustain us during tough times. This highly accessible story will inspire readers to think about art and its role in society. For ages 12+.