Suzanne Heywood: Wavewalker author on how an exciting childhood adventure unravelled into an isolating nightmare - The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

In 1976, seven-year-old Suzanne Heywood's father took his family on a three-year sailing adventure inspired by Captain James Cook.

Three years on the ocean turned into a decade and Suzanne was deprived of stability, friendships and education as she grew up on the water missing her homeland.

She says her parents kept insisting she had a 'privileged childhood', but she recalled having mixed feelings about the journey early on.

"I had all my friends in England, I had my dog, Rusty, I had my doll's house I'd only just received for Christmas- I had really mixed feelings. I knew I was going to leave everything I knew behind in order to go on this voyage."

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