Defying the Gatekeeper - Margaret Spivey

This is the shocking story of one little girl, Margaret, whose life began in poverty and violence. She was abandoned at 18 months by her mother who chose to go off with another man after the death of Margaret's 27 year old father from alcoholism. Placed in Australian Government 'care' she experienced the shocking systematic abuse of 'Wards of the State' in institutions such as Winlaton Youth Training Centre and Winberra. Labelled 'a problem child', and 'a psychiatric case' in adolescence, Margaret's ensuing journey took her to the depths of physical, emotional, spiritual and mental abuse at a time when many children simply fell through the cracks and got lost within the Australian welfare system of the 1960's and 1970's. From the bottom of the world, living her life through drugs, alcohol and prostitution, Margaret finally emerged triumphant. This is ultimately a story about hope, and the power of the human spirit.