Instead, he spent 12 weeks at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital. Tasmania has no inpatient care or specific mental health services for veterans. He was anxious, depressed, suffering from PTSD and in chronic pain.īut to get help, he had to fly to Melbourne, despite the fact he had developed a severe fear of flying after his years as a helicopter medic. The deaths of fellow soldiers and atrocities at war weighed heavily on him. He had served as a sergeant in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps. Mr Weir returned to civilian life after 15 years of service, discharged for medical and mental health reasons. "And so walking in the bush … you don't often hear it. Open Arms Veterans & Families Counselling 1800 011 046.Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774.Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line 13YARN on 13 92 76.Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467."It gives you that, 'Oh yeah, job's on', just for that second, but it's enough to give you, not an adrenaline boost, but a reminder, a trigger," Mr Weir said. When he's bushwalking, Joshua Weir is far from the whirring of helicopters.Įven the sound of a diesel truck using its engine brakes can take him back to Iraq. The federal government says it funds access to existing services but states provide the infrastructure.
The state government says it is working to make sure mental health care is accessible, but ultimately veterans' mental health services are a federal issue. What's next? There is no sign of a solution. Advocates say veterans need care specific to their needs and they are being left behind. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.In short: Tasmanian veterans are forced to travel interstate to receive mental health care because no inpatient care is available. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review.
A long way home professional#
The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. She helps Jimmy when he needs her, resulting in a satisfying union of the two story lines at the book’s end.Ī masterful, heartwarming, and heartbreaking historical novel, Long Way Home contains reminders of human beings’ ability to do great evil-and their duty to do great good.ĭisclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review.
Gisela witnesses countless horrors, first in worn-torn cities and later in a concentration camp, yet still manages to see good in the world. Peggy spends months contacting Jimmy’s fellow soldiers for answers. The age-old question of how a benevolent god can allow evil is raised, answered with ideas of human responsibility and the possibility of grace that suffering brings.īoth Peggy and Gisela are strong leads, with Peggy’s strength lying in her compassion, and Gisela’s in her perseverance.
Gisela questions her Jewish heritage, and Peggy reminds Jimmy of the scriptures he once clung to.
It is unflinching in dealing with heavy topics including antisemitism, genocide, and suicide, yet also highlights the courage and perseverance of individuals facing such horrors.įaith plays a large role. The book alternates between Peggy and Gisela’s points of view, exploring the pre- and post-war world. Determined to help him, Peggy sets out to uncover what happened during his tour. But Jimmy is no longer the lighthearted boy she knew. The next few years are filled with heartbreak as WWII threatens everything Gisela holds dear.Īfter the war, Peggy is thrilled when her childhood best friend, Jimmy, returns home. They secure spots on a boat bound for Cuba, only to be turned away upon their arrival. Gisela’s family becomes unsafe as Germany turns hostile toward Jewish people. Lynn Austin’s poignant historical novel Long Way Home highlights the heroism of those who lived through WWII.
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