Chronicles the five years Christine Cummins spent working as a torture and trauma counsellor with asylum seekers detained on Christmas Island. It provides a firsthand account of Australian immigration detention, during a period of dramatic change and controversy. With exclusive access to the stories shared by hundreds of asylum seekers, Christine describes the reasons people were forced to flee their homelands. These true stories are compelling and reveal the lives of ordinary people seeking a safe new life. It's an inspiring, intimate memoir about resilience and the tenacity of love. This book fills the gap in our understanding of people pursuing protection in a conflict-ridden world.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-222)