When Wendyl Nissen's mother was suffering with Alzheimer's, she told some extraordinary stories about her background that Wendyl had never heard before.

Determined to get to the bottom of these family secrets, Wendyl found some wild and intriguing stories of loss, grief and love.

She uncovered new relatives, deeply sad adoptions, harsh parenting, complex marriages and a few rogues. These stories often highlighted how tough life was for women and children in an era when women had to fight for every bit of independence they gained.

This compelling, moving book is about mothers and daughters, ageing and the way deep family traumas echo down through the generations. It is also spliced with wisdom on caring for someone with dementia.