On Gallant Wings

By Helen Edwards

Reviewed by Helen Gearing

In addition to ‘The Disappearing Circus,’ a recently published fantasy co-authored with Kate Gordon, South-Australian children’s author Helen Edwards has written four other middle grade novels challenging stereotypes and encouraging readers to consider gaps in their understanding of Australia’s history. Published in April 2025, On Gallant Wings is a gripping story for readers ten years and older that explores tensions between nationalism and friendship during World War Two.

It’s 1941 and thirteen-year-old Ava Birdwhistle’s world has been upended. Her father is fighting overseas, her brother plans to enlist, and her best friend Kazuo has been forcibly removed, along with his family, from their home in Cairns to an internment camp somewhere south. For a time, Ava can distract herself by caring for the family’s beloved homing pigeons and writing letters to her far-away loved ones. But when the Japanese military bomb Darwin, Ava and her mother must leave the birds and evacuate to an unknown future with extended family in Lake Boga.

Ava’s attempts to recover from the trauma of the bombings and rebuild her life are complicated by the secrecy and misinformation surrounding what has happened in Darwin, with government censorship preventing newspapers from reporting the scale of destruction and loss of life. And when Kazuo goes missing from his internment camp, Ava must navigate loyalty to her country and to her friend as she makes decisions which will have far-reaching consequences for them both.

On Gallant Wings is an impeccably-researched, engaging read for children who love history and are keen to learn what happened next for the civilians who survived the 1942 Darwin bombings. With censorship-redacted letters from Kazuo, Ava’s father, and Ava’s brother interspersed throughout the novel, On Gallant Wings also provides excellent insight into what could, and what couldn’t, be shared with someone’s far-away loved ones throughout the long years of the second world war.

Riveted Press 2025

Helen Edwards