Shayla is on a newspaper assignment when she returns to the housing estate where she grew up and finds it demolished.
The locals have been evicted, their homes erased, their stories too.
Standing among the rubble of Rosemeadow, Shayla is assailed by her memories of living there – painful secrets, dangerous romances and the bonds she formed with the ‘gutter kids’.
Surrounded by poverty and confronted by domestic violence, Shayla found her escape in reading. Now it’s time to tell the stories of Rosemeadow, including her own.
This poignant novel sheds an important light on the very personal nature of the housing crisis, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the lives of an underrepresented community that we’re often quick to stereotype.
‘Roseghetto’ is an account of breaking the cycle of violence and poverty, drawing readers into a world where hardship and hope coexist.
As with the protagonist Shayla, Kirsty was inspired to write the story after returning to Rosemeadow and finding her former home no longer existed.
“The story is a composite of places and people that I knew growing up,” she said.
“I’ve taken those fragments of memory and turned them into something new to share those times with the reader.”
Describing the story as “adult, dark and heavy but always with a glimmer of hope”, Kirsty said getting such great feedback from reviewers had been a dream come true.
“It’s very encouraging and interesting to see my book through others’ eyes and that it can mean something different to everyone.”
‘Roseghetto’ (hard copy or ebook) is available in book shops or online from booktopia or dymocks.
