In this no-holds-barred story, Beverley Jones reveals her rollicking, roller-coaster ride towards self-discovery spanning her teenage years, during which she breaks free from a religious cult, jumps into the deep end of the Sixties social revolution, and explores the racial confusion in her family who were amongst the earliest Eurasians to immigrate to Australia in the wake of the demise of colonialism in Asia.

Beverley's journey begins in the outlying western suburbs of Sydney, Australia which is the catalyst for her feeling trapped by social, racial and religious isolation.

It exposes the vulnerability of a child making decisions in an adult world, exploring how much Beverley was prepared to risk by pushing boundaries in the pursuit of personal freedom.

Whirligigs in the Backyard is a must read if you still have questions about some of your own youthful decisions.