Thomasina Farrell is a talented writer and musician whom I have known for many years in whose work a girl discovers her beauty through an emotional journey and gains a new perspective on self-reflection
Thomasina is brave and honest and has the extraordinary ability to distil a lifetime’s resilience into seven pages. Her story is her own to tell and although the book has great power, I think, as a stand-alone it becomes magnificent knowing her.
One day in 2020 she showed it to me as we talked about creativity, I can’t remember who suggested I illustrate the book but it has been a privilege to do so.
Thomasina describes her life as
Thomasina Farrell is an Anglican nun in South Australia. She emigrated to Australia in her twenties from Britain. She has studied languages, music, nursing, disability work, and mental health work. She is currently studying creative writing. She has had poems published under various pen names buts this is her first book Illustrated by the renowned artist, Malcolm Richards.
She is particularly passionate about mental health
Dramatic understatement at so many levels except the renown of the artist which is outrageous hyperbole.
Described as “a simple, age-appropriate story with clear, brightly coloured illustrations”, The Girl and the Mirror has lessons for grown-ups as well as for the children the book is chiefly aimed toward.
Thomasina’s purpose in writing the book is to show that people can recover and thrive if they open themselves to assistance.
“The book is about resilience, about making something good out of something bad and is for anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and not liked what they saw. I hope it can be an inspiration to readers of all ages”, Farrell says.
Inspired by the author to create a self-contained world for the story, I draw pictures using coloured pencil and wash to capture both the dull colours of despair as well as the bright colours of hope evoked in the story in a medium familiar to all children that love to draw.
“There’s a danger that people can get caught up in hype” says Farrell, “and judge themselves poorly against what they see reflected back at them”.
“The purpose of the book is to help people understand they can benefit from knowing their own worth and asking for help when they need it.”
I have worked for over 30 years in General Practice and , I have witnessed many patients battle with mental health issues. I hope by giving people the vision to understand their own self-worth they can gain the skills to see themselves as they are – valuable individuals with their own unique way in the world.
We hope we have created a story that can help us all accept what we see in the mirror.
The Girl and the Mirror, authored by Thomasina Farrell, illustrated by me and published my Austin Macauley is aimed at all audiences. It makes a great book to read the children at bedtime but can be revisited at any time in life when our perception of ourselves is our personal challenge.
