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Butterfly on a Pin

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Butterfly on a Pin

By: Alannah Hill
Narrated by: Alannah Hill
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Summary
 Alannah Hill, one of Australia’s most successful fashion designers, created an international fashion brand that defied trends with ornamental, sophisticated elegance, beads, bows and vintage florals. But growing up in a milk bar in Tasmania, Alannah’s childhood was one of hardship, fear and abuse. At an early age she ran away from home with eight suitcases of costumes and a fierce determination to succeed, haunted by her mother’s refrain of ‘You’ll never amount to anything, you can’t sew, nobody likes you and you’re going to end up in a shallow grave, dear!’ At the height of her success, Alannah walked the razor’s edge between two identities – the ‘good’ Alannah and the ‘mongrel bastard’ Alannah. Who was the real Alannah Hill? Reprieve came in the form of a baby boy and the realisation that becoming a mother not only changes your life, but completely refurbishes it, forever. Yet 'having it all' turned out to be another illusion. In 2013 Alannah walked away from her eponymous brand, a departure that left her coming apart at the seams. She slowly came to understand the only way she could move forward was to go back. At the heart of it all was her mother, whose loveless marriage and disappointment in life had a powerful and long-lasting effect on her daughter. It was finally time to call a truce with the past.©2018 Alannah Hill (P)2018 W. F. Howes Ltd Art & Literature Authors Women Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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Loved this book. Couldn't put it down.
Beautiful written and read. She's incredible creative writer. Absolutely amazing.

Loved it!!

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Alannah’s story was very emotional, gut wrenching at times but her resilience shone throughout. Her narration of the book added to its charm.

Incredibly moving and raw - highly recommended

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The marvellous, transformative and highly entertaining memoir of Alannah Hill has taken me through the journey of a “unjoined” child into the eccentric whimsical Australian Designer that we all know!
I was expecting to be interested, but felt transported, and this will be one of, if not the, favourite autobiographical book I have read.

Whimsical, truthful and entertaining!

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Truly worth penning, Alannah’s memoir gives us complete insight into the iconic designer’s mind, her hopes and torments. Her path to success is fascinating and her retreat from the spotlight now utterly understandable. Thank you Alannah for sharing your story. I recommend this to everyone who appreciated her talent.

Wow

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A brave, emotional, inspiring biography well read by the author. Her creative talent is expressed in every aspect of her life. The dinner party hooked me in for a non stop journey ... I felt empathy, sadness, hope, despair, inspiration and humour. Talking directly to the listener with 'dear reader' the work touched me with its humanity. Reasons and purpose for this work are clear and important.

Raw, honest, shattering, creative and insightful

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