Big Things (Big Things Book 1)

A Road Trip of Grief, Growth, and Unexpected Family

Grover never planned to be a guardian—or much of anything, really. Set in his comfortable routines and content to avoid anything too heavy, he reluctantly agrees to babysit his niece and nephew for one night. But when tragedy strikes, Grover is suddenly thrown into a role he never asked for.

Convinced the kids will be better off with their strict grandmother, he sets off on a cross-country road trip through Australia in the iconic Priscilla bus, intending to ease them into their new future. But the journey becomes something more. Along the way, the trio navigates roadside oddities, media chaos, and their own personal grief, discovering unexpected friendships and beginning to heal.

BIG THINGS is a heartfelt, humorous exploration of loss, resilience, and what it means to choose your family. Through pop culture, scenic highways, and emotional honesty, Grover must finally face his past—and decide who he wants to be for the kids who now look to him for everything.

Start the journey—discover BIG THINGS today.

Excerpt from the book

The Big Imposition

A wise man once said – Like an oyster and a pearl. A guy and a girl. What have you got? You’ve got a perfect match.

No, wait, that’s the theme song from the eighties TV dating show, Perfect Match. Then, what did the wise man say? Do not inspect the teeth and gums of a horse that is given to you as a gift? No, that’s not it either.

Sorry, I well and truly have that theme song stuck in my head now. Full disclosure – I was watching Perfect Match online because two of the characters in this novel mention it as an important event for them. I’d never seen it before, and what kind of a narrator would I be if I don’t at least try to do a little background research?

I know, right? You’re welcome. Well, welcome in advance, I guess, because these characters don’t even turn up for another few chapters. They’re worth waiting for though. Alex thinks old Bev is an alien and, frankly, I can’t blame him because I’ve never encountered a person who was born without fingerprints and has no eyebrows. How does she travel internationally? How does she know when to stop applying her eye shadow?

Again, that’s all at least a few chapters from now – possibly more if I keep going off on tangents. You’ll meet Alex sooner. Again – tangent.

Sorry, I’m just a little bit excited because I love this story. In fact, I requested this particular story to tell. Hard as it is, I’ll try not to get ahead of myself.

Okay, so let’s forget the quote. You might not have noticed (don’t blame yourself, Dear Readers, you don’t know any better), but this is my first time narrating.

Ahem, the Narrator Handbook says:

Start with a joke, or a quote

But it also says:

NEVER BOTH

I found a jokey quote that I think had something to do with a penguin. Anyway, whatever. Let’s start. Focus.

Introduce the main characters

***

It had been a fairly ordinary week for Grover Sullivan. It was a Friday afternoon, and, quite ordinarily, he was not rostered on shift Friday night because that was when all the best TV shows aired. It’s not important right now, but Grover works part-time at a Chilean restaurant called Los Cocos del Pato, a job he got when he was at university.

On this particular Friday, Grover had a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, which had been building since Wednesday.

***

You know that feeling you can’t quite shake off, like – Did I leave the hair straightener on? That’s just an example, I don’t even own a hair straightener, or hair (that’s a whole ‘nother story). Anyhow, Grover had that feeling.

***

The feeling was so intense he could barely enjoy his favourite meal of Coca-Cola and Mi Goreng noodles with butter.

There was nothing happening in Grover’s life worth that level of concern. Well, to be honest, there was nothing much happening in Grover’s life full stop. He was thirty-five now, but he still had the same friends he’d had at twenty. He still played the same amount of video games that he played at twenty. He was still in the same destructive relationship he was in when he was twenty (not a girlfriend… his own hand. ‘It’s complicated’ as his socials attested).