Duped into carrying books with 1.7 kilograms of heroin hidden in them, Goosen is arrested and tried on drug trafficking charges.
Deaf to her pleas of innocence, the Thai courts sentence Goosen to death. On appeal her sentence is commuted to life, to be served in Bangkok’s notorious Lard Yao prison.
Pregnant, terrified and desperately alone, Goosen begins a harrowing 16-year journey behind bars. Forced to part with her beloved daughter three years later, Goosen’s story traces the joy and hurt of motherhood behind bars, the depression that comes with long-term incarceration and separation, and her return to a hugely changed South Africa in 2010.
More than just a riveting read about harrowing events, it is an inspirational story which reinforces the lesson that it is important for young people to consider the consequences of their actions, as well as reminding us that it is possible to come through even the most trying circumstances with humanity and dignity.
Durban-born Joanne Joseph is a familiar face to South African viewers, having presented television news for the past fifteen years. She is most passionate about finding the human angle that moves beyond the facts and figures of a story and finds the extraordinary stories of ordinary women intriguing, which makes her the perfect channel for Goosen’s tale.
Available at Bargain Books The Glen Shopping Centre.
Price was R171, now R159.
