Forged by Sorrow

In this powerful memoir, Suzanne portrays how she navigates a childhood pervaded with violence, abuse and neglect and the strategies she develops to resist her abusers and protect her younger siblings.

Out of the turmoil and brutality of her childhood experiences, Suzanne’s strength and resilience is forged as she draws on comfort and courage from within, however, the devastating consequences of her childhood would then be mirrored in her married life.

Suzanne’s increasing use of alcohol to numb the pain of the past would eventually become a deadly addiction which would almost destroy the life she had worked so hard to create for herself and her three children, however, her recovery would be the key to true freedom.

The significant events which changed the trajectory of her life path and her fortitude and hope are woven throughout her story.

Today, Suzanne has a degree in psychology and sociology and a diploma in abuse counselling. From victim to survivor to advocate, Suzanne captures how she perfected the skills learned in her early life and the knowledge gained from her formal education to utilise in her career as a child protection caseworker for the past twenty-three years.