The Great Trial

“We were never given a reason for being sent to the orphanage, but I suspect my father was in some sort of trouble. Our board and lodging was paid for. It turned out that my brother and I were the only children there who had two living parents. Most of the other children had only one parent, or were actually orphans.” Life-changing experiences are not new to Estelle Harris. Born in England, she would come to Australia out of obligation to her family, and spend years struggling to carve out a life of her own. All the while her parents would discredit her very existence – referring to her as nothing more than a ‘Great Trial’. Told in raw and honest language, The Great Trial is Estelle’s story, and her attempt to come to terms with the great trials of her own life. But most importantly it’s a story about the realisation of hope, after a lifetime of pursuit. This story is a sad and gritty one, written with humility, with honesty and with a tremendous amount of guts. —Wendy O’Hanlon Estelle’s determined resilience and diligent work ethic shine through her inspirational account of a difficult life navigated with courage and nourished by friendship. —John Morrow’s Pick of the Week This memoir reflects the sins of the parents which are unfortunately passed on to their luckless children. However, Estelle’s life reflects her bravery, determination and hopefulness to encourage all of us to strive to enjoy the positive things in life. — Chris McGuigan, Kensington Review