Award-winning journalist Pamela Bone explores how individuals are tempered and transformed by the process of growing up through her own experience as a daughter, sister, and mother. This inspirational look at childhood explores such issues as why some children in difficult circumstances seem blessed with resilience while others struggle to cope with life and whether Australian children are less resilient than they used to be. The author's perspective is augmented by contributions from such prominent Australians as Natasha Stott Despoja, Max Gillies, Mark Latham, Michael Leunig, and Johanna Murray-Smith.