by Jillian Sullivan. [Published by Potton and Burton, September 2016] 

When life as she knew it ended, with her marriage over and her last child off into the world, writer Jillian Sullivan set out to fulfil a long-held dream of building a strawbale house. A Way Home tells the story of how she settled in a small community in Central Otago, where she eventually managed to build her new home. With her son-in-law Sam as her builder and mentor, and she as the apprentice, Jillian describes the process of having to learn how to build, how to be strong, and most importantly that there is no such thing as can’t. 

The house that emerges through this memoir is a physical testament to the rebuilding of a life, and of moving past loneliness and loss to find a place called home. This is a beautifully told and inspiring story, a book for anyone who needs to start again, or has a project bigger than they think possible. 

Jillian Sullivan is the author of eleven other books, and has published novels, short stories, a collection of poetry and a book on the creative process, A Guide to Creating. She works at the Maniototo Hospital as a nurse aid, and teaches writing in New Zealand, and in America each year for the Highlights Foundation. Her awards include The Highlights Fiction Award in America, and the Kathleen Grattan Prize for poetry. She has five children and eight grandchildren, many of whom were able to help with the building of her strawbale house.