Black Bird Only those who stared noticed her tics. 

It's Sydney in the 60s and the nuns and lay teachers at Saint Cyril's Primary School have never heard of Tourette Syndrome. Neither has Marea Morgan, the little girl who's forever blinking, licking her lips, twitching her mouth - and always in trouble. It's a dangerous combination, a child with Tourette Syndrome, and a school where corporal punishment is administered willy-nilly.

Primary education is a roller coaster ride for Marea Morgan, from her first morning in Kindergarten with kind-hearted Miss Blaine, to her final conflict in Sixth Class with strict disciplinarian, Mother Mary Macarius. Marea fits into the system but constantly places herself in harem-scarum predicaments that lead to painful consequences. She enjoys and endures, is rewarded, is cruelly punished. She has her revenge.

Based on fact, this riotous account of an eventful childhood is written with warmth and candour in a colourful style that evokes marvellous imagery. 

Well-written, engaging, candid, and intriguing. The writer gave me a window into what it's like to experience Tourette Syndrome firsthand......moving, heart-breaking, and at times laugh-out-loud funny......I felt as if I were there with her - a credit to the author's skill. - Writer's Digest, USA, 2005

Marea Hannah Whitley is Secretary of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia. Her twin sons have Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders. Marea wrote of her childhood experiences to dispel her own demons, and increase awareness about Tourette Syndrome. The book is endorsed by TSAA President, Russell Oxford.

$2.00 from each sale donated to The Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia