Marnie’s diary entries have been woven into a story about the isolated, beautiful wild environment that helped heal a young woman struggling with crippling feelings of social inadequacy. Kept busy with mustering, fleeco-ing for shearers, and fencing, her poignant and entertaining reminiscences are interspersed with tales of pig-hunting, poachers, horses, boyfriend, floods and fires, working dogs, farm-life in the valley . . . and the wide-open hilltops where the sky was the limit. Over a period of 8 years, this ‘bird in the bush’ came to find her true self – through solitude, exploration, risk and adventure. Developing physical and emotional strength, she ultimately built the confidence to commit to a life beyond her beloved Pakihi Valley.