15/04/2020
Name : Dorothy Johnston
Location : Victoria
Title : Message of resilience and courage
Review : Author Judy Baird can have had no idea when she wrote 'Reflections on Resilience: the story of a family of five remarkable women' that a pandemic was about to sweep the world. But her message of resilience and courage is a timely one. The story begins with Judy's great-great grandmother emigrating to Australia in the 1850s, moves on to her grandmother Sophie, her mother Edith and daughter Cherie, who was born with a severe disability. While the sections about Judy's forebears show readers that they indeed had to struggle to survive, for me the most poignant sections of the book - and they will bring tears to your eyes - are about Cherie, made more poignant and intimate by photographs. 'A resilient woman? Yes, Cherie most certainly was. She suffered so much but was always much more patient than me, and made the best of what life offered.' But the unsung heroine of the book is Judy herself, who brings her family to life with courage, grace and humour. Reflections on Resilience is an uplifting story for these uncertain times.