Amelia and Riley Olsen provide a brilliant narrative on a difficult subject of suicide and the grief it can cause for those left behind. I have not been so emotionally connected to a journey since reading “Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance”. The authors provide an emotion charged narrative that speaks to all who have ever lost somebody, when certain things in your relationship are untold, un-communicated or misunderstood. It is more than a motor cycle journey it is a story about grief, confusion and anger and a struggle to reconcile all three to gain closure. 

The story is told through the eyes of 18 year old Riley and it is set on an adventure bike tour that he and his mother undertake. The tour had been planned between Riley and his father before his father had committed suicide.  Amelia decides that the trip must go ahead in order to gain closure and to tick off one of the activities that has been left undone. With very little riding experience Amelia and Riley join up with a Cape York Motor Cycle Adventure group and head up to the northern tip of Australia, through Cape York.

The story is a journey within a journey, and in this way it has parallels to “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. It’s not about motorcycle touring, but more a journey of discovery and reconciliation. As the two ride and overcome obstacles along the path on their motor bikes they parallel this with their emotional discoveries, meeting characters along the way that help them overcome their own emotional obstacles. The acceptance of things that can not be changed and the reconciliation of guilt and anger builds through the narrative until its final conclusion at the tip of Australia.

At the start of the book you get the feeling that the book is a narrative about Riley, and his journey to understand and comprehend the loss of his father. It is narrated in Riley’s first person voice.  But as the book progresses you get the sense that it’s also about Amelia and her battles with guilt, grief, love and loss.

Dirt and Dust is a raw look into the lives of two people who have suffered the loss of a loved one through suicide. The emotions are raw and I found myself feeling immensely sad for Riley in particular, as a young man who needs a father at an important time in his life. 

This book is well written, nicely structured and Amelia manages to blend her own in depth understanding of the causes of depression and suicide with Riley’s 18 year old need for answers, into a travel story. There is a beginning, middle and end to this journey, although I suspect the end is not actually the end but the end of the beginning.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has travelled on a motor cycle and understands the absolute importance of “Helmet Time”. If you have experienced a loss in your life and you are struggling with understanding your next step then the lessons in this book will help you immensely. 

I would like to have had more closure at the end, but I guess that’s the point. Emotions expressed by the authors don’t just go away, but motor cycle riding can help build perspective. 

For those who wish to find the book it is published by Ultimate World Publishing in 2021 ISBN 978-1-922597-55-7 there is also an ebook available. It is approximately 157 pages with 11 chapters. 

Where to buy

This book can be purchased through Amazon at the link provided below. If you purchase through this link I will receive a small commission. This does not in anyway influence my comments or criticism of the book. I believe in trying to be objective so that you can rely on my evaluation when making a purchase.

Click here to buy – Dirt and Dust by Amelia and Riley Olsen