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A big, golden horse called Thomas, always smelling of warm ginger biscuits.

One day, Thomas comes across young Jenny Dove, The Nothing Girl who has fallen through the cracks of life, who nobody notices, who no one hears as she cries out for help.

As Jenny decides to end it all before it gets any worse, she is interrupted after taking the first two pills by a strange voice that suggests, “I think two are enough, don’t you?”. Thomas.

A modern fairy tale reflecting life’s ups and downs

Jodi Taylor’s books about Jenny (the second is The Something Girl – which tells you something before you even start to read it) are modern fairy tales. But, like all fairy tales, they are a metaphor for the ups and downs of our own lives.

Jenny’s story is about life so meaningless as to precipitate an existential crisis. It is not until Jenny has reached rock bottom and is facing the fire that things start to change for the better.

Then, with the help of her inner strength, represented by Thomas, and her newfound friends, she discovers the compassion and desire to help others inside herself.

Thomas relentlessly helps Jenny discover her resilience and strength. He keeps reminding her that, even with her stutter, she has the self-confidence to take control of her life. Eventually, she does just this and uses the lessons of her sad past to help her friends and family overcome their own challenges. In doing so, she finds that her life has a purpose and is no longer meaningless.

See the world differently

It’s a fairy tale, just a story. But stories, whether true-life tales, fiction, parables or myths, help us see the world differently.

The story of The Nothing Girl is fiction, though it could easily be true (Thomas excepted). However, it is a compelling reflection of the internal battles we often face in our lives and sends a powerful message that none of us is useless. We all have something to offer. We can all make a difference, primarily when we use our experiences and misfortunes to help and guide others.

The Nothing Girl is a story to fill us with hope and joy and shows that we can overcome adversity when we put our minds to it.

Attributions and references:

Photo by David Dibert on Unsplash

The Nothing Girl and The Something Girl by Jodi Taylor