As  Samilya shared her horrific story of being raised in an orphanage in Far North Queensland I learned of the setbacks and frustrations that Samilya had battled all her life. She had fought through limited education, institutional abuse and neglect, the mental health system, and the challenges of engaging with the legal system when seeking justice. Writing the book mirrored many of these challenges and injustices, extending the project beyond the planned two years to eight years.

Overcoming the frustrations amplified the joy we experienced at the book launch.  We both had so much pride in publishing the book.