A JOYFUL LIFE – KARIUKI AND LAND

Information

Author:

Rosemary Kariuki and Summer Land

Date:

Hardie Grant
March 2023

Author:

Additional Info

A JOYFUL LIFE

Rights Holder: Hardie Grant
Original Language: English

An extraordinary memoir of one migrant’s resilience, not just to survive, but shine.

A Joyful Life is the astonishing memoir of Rosemary Kariuki, one of Australia's most beloved Local Heroes. Long before she was advocating for refugee and migrant women just like herself, Rosemary was a survivor like no other.

As a child, she survived the first of many predators in her home. As a teen, she survived the first of three infant losses. In her twenties, she survived years of domestic violence. In her thirties, shesurvived political unrest and tribal clashes that brought a hammer crashing down on her head.

But what makes Rosemary’s journey so remarkable is not just how she survived, but also how she came to find joy: an infectious joy that she has gone on to share with countless others. From her tough childhood in Kenya, taking care of her fifteen siblings, to becoming the 2021 Australian of the Year – Local Hero through her work as a multicultural community liaison officer for the police in western Sydney, Rosemary’s story is a memoir that will inspire all Australians.

Raw, direct and filled with Rosemary’s warmth and humour, A Joyful Life shows how in the face of incredible hardship, kindness to ourselves and to others can allow us to regain our internal strength and ultimately become the writer of our own life story.

Rosemary Kariuki is the multicultural community liaison officer for the Campbelltown Police, specialising in helping migrants who are facing domestic violence, language barriers and financial distress. In 2021, Rosemary work was recognised with the Australian of the Year – Local Hero and NSW Local Hero awards. Rosemary’s own experiences have inspired her to help migrant women connect with a community, combating the isolation that comes with moving to a new country. A documentary about her work, Rosemary's Way, was released in 2021. In 2022 she received the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the multicultural community.

Summer Land has authored and ghost-written over ten books, spoken at numerous writers' and readers' festivals across Australia, and has had work featured in ELLE Australia, Marie Claire Australia, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, ABC and Mamamia. Summer is a keynote speaker for EQ Minds and an avid fundraiser for the Children's Medical Research Institute.

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