The Wonderful Thing About Phoenix Rose is the eighth novel by Australian author, Josephine Moon. Brisbane high school teacher, Phoenix Rose has not long identified as on the autism spectrum. It’s taken some getting used to the idea, but now the sick leave she took after her burnout/shutdown incident is almost up, and she will have to go back to work at St Clementine’s, under an unsympathetic headmistress.

But then, a plea from one of her new friends in the online Downunder Auties group: Olga has had an adverse diagnosis, and desperately needs to rehome her beloved animals before the worst happens. Olga has been living a bit of a hermit-like existence in country Tasmania, and Phoenix swings from thinking there’s no way she can give any practical help to deciding she will fly to Launceston and do whatever she can.

But for an autie, that’s a major move out of the comfort zone: can she really do it? Her partner, Zack, who understands her as well as a male autist can, is encouraging and supportive, ready to drop everything and join her, but that would probably kiss his well-deserved promotion goodbye. Phoenix decides to go it alone.

Down in Tassie, though, things reach crisis point rather quickly, and soon Phoenix is left in sole charge of a depressed dog with a heart condition (Humphrey), a deaf Shetland pony with a taste for coffee (Rita), two tabby cats (Audrey and Marilyn), four chickens that seldom lay, and a python (Henry). Individually rehoming these elderly pets will be virtually impossible to do quickly. Except for Henry, with whom Phoenix’s snake phobia really can’t cope, they’re all just going to have to come home to Brisbane with her.

Aware that travelling through four states and crossing Bass Strait with eight animals will present multiple challenges, Phoenix appeals to her newfound online neurokin, and they quickly respond: some offer words of encouragement, one insists on equipping her with a reality check spreadsheet, another provides a vehicle, yet another organises a travelling companion/co-driver.

Before long, the menagerie is being transported in a crazy-looking truck and horse float by two auties, one of whom is especially quirky. Lily also has some personal issues she hasn’t shared, while, thanks to social media, the issues Phoenix has with her headmistress also come to a head. And if they think the road trip they are embarking on will be a relatively straight-forward drive north, they have another think coming.

Throughout all this drama, she has the unfailing support of her online autie friends, while Zack’s enthusiastic endorsement of everything she proposes, no matter how crazy-sounding, proves to Phoenix that he’s a keeper.

Moon gives the reader a plot that quickly shows it’s not going in a straight, predictable line: there are twists and turns and backflips and surprises before the final, very satisfying resolution. Moon’s cast of auties delight and amaze and easily endear themselves to the reader: their tales will generate laughter and tears, shock, anger and dismay, but ultimately also pride and hope.

It’s clear that Josephine Moon has put her whole self into this novel, a succinct portrayal of just a few of the issues and challenges that those on the autism spectrum can face. Phoenix’s brilliant speech to the school board ought to be compulsory reading for every Department of Education and every school board. The included recipe for Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes is the icing on Josephine Moon’s best yet.