One of 10 born to a neglectful prostitute, Beverly Wardle-Jackson spends five years as a ward of the State - at the mercy of seemingly heartless and institution-obsessed child-welfare officers.
When her every hope and happiness is crushed, she's thrown into an adult mental asylum at the age of 14, injected with paralytic drugs and subjected to electroconvulsive therapy.
It's a true story and one that's shared by hundreds of New Zealanders unfortunate enough to go through the system at the time. Wardle-Jackson's writing is sparse.
Mistrust, anger and fear were her lessons, not semantics.
In this case, it complements the honest narrative of her child self.
It's a wonder she's written a book at all, given her deprived start in life and severely lacking education.
More impressive is her pluck as a youngster.
Escaping the confines and relentless abuse of various foster and welfare homes, she stows away on an overnight ferry, hitchhikes the length of the North Island and roams central-city streets at night.
Police pursuits, beatings and weeks locked in seclusion cells don't deter her, but rather harden her resolve and fuel her desire to be free.
The Government completely failed her, stripping away any opportunity for healthy development.
Wardle-Jackson's revenge is in the naming and shaming of those involved - for their corrupt, bullish, alcohol-fuelled and sexually abusive behaviour.
She knows well the despair of not being wanted or loved, and the destructive self-loathing that results. Remarkably, she's alive and loving life in Christchurch as a 62-year-old wife, mother and grandmother.
• Rosie Manins is chief reporter at Dunedin Television.
