The story is about a girl who, at the age of 6, was told by her father that their family would sail around the world on a boat called Wavewalker. However, instead of the promised three years, they were trapped on the boat for nearly a decade. The girl, now an adult, looks back on her experiences and reveals the truth behind the seemingly privileged lifestyle she had. She explains that she was not able to attend school or make friends, unlike her brother who was allowed to help on deck. The family often ran out of fresh food and water on their voyages, and the girl had to endure physical dangers such as a severe accident. Living on the boat for such a long time meant she had limited access to medical care and no private space as a teenager. The girl realized her only way out was through education, and after years of fighting, her parents finally agreed to let her enroll in an Australian correspondence school. However, studying on a boat was difficult, and she faced many challenges like a lack of a postal address and limited resources. Nonetheless, she persevered and eventually secured a place at Oxford University. The girl's relationship with her parents became strained, but she was determined to give her own children a different upbringing. She finally decides to tell her story, even if it means losing her remaining relationship with her parents. Through her writing, she emphasizes that her childhood was far from privileged, but she found a way to overcome her circumstances and build a successful life for herself.
