Finding Marjorie King

Who was Marjorie King?  Her daughter, Jennifer, needed to know. Why did her beautiful, funny, shy mother never speak about her past? Where was her Mum’s family?

Jennifer's  framed portrait revealed a stunning young Asian woman. But there were no images of Marjorie as a child. And while there was a steady stream of relatives from Jennifer’s father’s family to their Swan Valley farm, from her mother’s side there was only silence. 

As Jennifer grew older, she began recording the little information her mother shared, always reluctantly and often through tears. Her childhood friend Cheryl was surrounded by family history. Her interest in genealogy, writing and research would inevitably find her drawn in to this compelling family mystery.

After years of chasing clues and frustrating dead ends, a new bond would prove vital in a chain of events that would shine the light on Jennifer's way home, uncovering a surprising connection to Australia's Stolen Generations.

This unique memoir celebrates the rediscovery of a multicultural identity that might otherwise have remained lost in the pages of Australia’s history.

A captivating story about the Stolen Generation - this compelling memoir tracks a daughter’s journey to solve a mystery and discover that family love is far too strong to ever be constrained by cultural boundaries and archaic laws.

About the Author

Jennifer Durrant worked in Finance for 44 years, and spent much of her life wondering where her mother Marjorie came from. She loves swimming in the ocean, cycling, communing with Nature, is chatty and enjoys long lunches with friends. Former journalist Cheryl Rogers writes around the edges of farming and family life in the Swan Valley, near Perth. Her short fiction has been published in Australia, the UK and USA, and she is a three time winner of the Henry Lawson Society of New South Wales short story award. In 1998, a memoir co-written with fellow University of Western Australia graduate and friend, Gun Dolva, was short-listed for the WA Premier's Book of the Year Award. A longtime member of Sisters in Crime (Australia), Cheryl loves a mystery.