Amelia Olsen

Dirt and Dust: A Teenage Perspective on Life After the Suicide of a Parent Amelia Olsen

Dirt and Dust is the tumultuous story of circumstances surrounding the death of a family member, told by eighteen-year-old Riley and his mum, Amelia, who rode 1400-kilometres on dirt bikes to the tip of Cape York, Queensland-the most northern point of Australia.




With a combination of Amelia's hilarious, yet heart-warming struggle to complete the physical challenges of the ride, along with Riley's attempt to comprehend the loss of his father, this account of their epic journey makes a tough topic an easy read.




"I don't want this situation about suicide or our circumstances to make us bitter and twisted. We've lived in a world of anxiety for so long. We have to do this ride and try to wrap it up somehow." - Amelia




"Looking over at Mum, I wondered if she was doing the same as me, literally soaking this magical place up in her own steady silence. It was an hour of my life that would be replayed in my mind over and over again. One hour of living to sustain life in the darkest and dirtiest of moments. I needed to collect them. I needed to collect more, just like that..." - Riley