The Wahine Disaster is more than just a story about a tragedy in Wellington Harbour . It's a story about growing up, surviving, and finding your way back to the surface. What makes the book powerful is how it connects Debbie’s diary with her grandfather James’s memories, showing how one terrifying, near-death experience can live differently in two people across generations. The book also quietly tells the truth about family life - the messiness of parenting, the weight of expectations, and what it’s like to grow up with both presence and absence in a family. When you think about the title as “woman’s disaster,” it hits harder. Every female character is fighting something of her own, carrying fears, grief, or responsibility that feels heavy and real. Still, the story doesn’t leave them drowning. There are people who reach out, who help pull them back up when they’re close to giving up. Like survivors breaking through the water for air, these women are given a second chance - not just to live, but to face life with new strength.