![Aaron de Jong and Peter Doherty will launch their powerful and heartbreaking book, Ainsley de Jong Could Dance at the Curious Rabbit this week. File picture Aaron de Jong and Peter Doherty will launch their powerful and heartbreaking book, Ainsley de Jong Could Dance at the Curious Rabbit this week. File picture](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/172474527/125f4d94-8561-4817-aec8-13d6f7acda31.jpg/r0_37_1200_725_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Months after the heart-breaking book on a brave Wagga girl came out, its authors will return to the spotlight for its official launch.
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Wagga's The Curious Rabbit gallery and bookstore will host first-time writers Aaron de Jong and Peter Doherty for an authors' talk on Friday night discussing their personal and touching book Ainsley de Jong Could Dance.
The story chronicles a young Wagga's girl's battle with her brain tumour until her sudden and unexpected death in a school playground accident, and the aftermath and toll it took on her family
The raw and personal account was published by Hardie Grant in September last year and sold out of its initial print run in a week.
"We weren't expecting that [response] at all," Mr de Jong said.
That put hopes of a public book launch on hold, even though a second print run was arranged before Christmas.
It makes Friday evening's function at The Curious Rabbit the authors' first opportunity to speak to an open forum.
Mr de Jong said people coming along will get a chance to hear about the story behind how the book came about.
"A lot things happened that people didn't know about," he said.
"There was an ongoing court case and the Department of Education tried not to make [that] public."
Through the process Mr de Jong learned how difficult it is to get an inquest in a "small country town".
"Everyone is entitled to [an inquest], but [the reality is] that's not the case, and you don't realise that until something bad happens...until you try and fight for it and it just doesn't happen," he said.
![The book explores Aaron de Jong's struggle with the passing of his daughter Ainsley nine years ago. File picture The book explores Aaron de Jong's struggle with the passing of his daughter Ainsley nine years ago. File picture](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/172474527/9aad6fcd-f567-4931-a9b2-c9eb893f8dc7.jpg/r0_64_1200_739_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's also a timely opportunity, coming after a positive metropolitan book review of Ainsley de Jong Could Dance.
Sydney's Beast magazine, which has a monthly circulation of around 60,000 copies in the city's eastern suburbs, published a glowing review in its February edition, giving it four stars out of five.
The reviewer said it was a "book that needed to be written and a book worth reading".
Mr de Jong and Mr Doherty said they were overjoyed to hear of Ainsley's story spreading and particularly pleased that the review noted the book was as heartwarming as it was devastating.
"You will probably cry at some point but you will smile as well. It's not just about what happened to Ainsley but rather who she was and what we can all learn from this little girl with the dancing feet and cheeky smile," Beast's reviewer, Anna Tidswell, said.
Mr de Jong said they're extremely grateful to Vickie Burkinshaw and The Curious Rabbit for supporting the book and hosting the talk.
Friday's event kicks off at 6pm at The Curious Rabbit in Johnston Street.
Bookings are $6 a ticket and can be purchased online.