title: Nine Lives: One Woman's True Story Of Survival
author: Jessica Le Gray
description: Nine Lives One Woman's True Story Of Survival This is a story of one girls life, and her trials and tribulations. It describes her early years and the struggles her family face after leaving Vietnam as refugees (known as 'boat people') during the Vietnam War. It begins with the struggles her and her family faced, moving to a country with a new language and culture, and facing hostility from those that they thought would help protect them and give them a safe place to live. It also describes the struggles that she faced including bullying during school years and the long-term physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her own mother. Torment, which eventually forced her to run away from home and end up involved the wrong crowd, Class A-drugs and a detrimental lifestyle. This story depicts her battles with addiction to Heroin and Crack, which exacerbated the depression she already suffered. Eventually leading to a mental breakdown, hospitalisation in a mental institution, and detoxification in a rehabilitation facility. She has lived what she describes, as so many different lives. She suffered greatly with her past life choices, some out of necessity others out of poor judgement, but has learnt a great deal as part of her journey. This story is of that journey of growth. It shows that no matter what life throws at you, you can change your life for the better. That it is imperative to not give up, to persevere to the end and become a person that you can be proud of. I continue to work on myself everyday so that I can be a person that others will be proud to have as a Daughter, Sister, friend and partner. Today, she can finally hold her head up high and is not afraid or ashamed to tell her story. She hopes that by reading about her struggles and how she has faced them and come out the other side stronger this may help others to do the same; to carry on no matter what, and to succeed.
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  Jessica Fellowes is an author, journalist and public speaker, best known for
  her work as author of five official companion books to _Downton Abbey_ ,
  various of which have hit the _New York Times_ and _Sunday Times_ bestseller
  lists. Former deputy editor of _Country Life_ and columnist on the _Mail on
  Sunday_ , she has written for publications including the _Daily Telegraph_ ,
  the _Guardian, The Sunday Times_ and _The Lady_. Jessica has spoken at events
  across the UK and US, and has made numerous appearances on radio and
  television. She lives happily in London and Oxfordshire with her family, an
  energetic Labradoodle and two chickens.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # [_Also by Jessica Fellowes_](part0004.html#toc-ad-card)
  
  
  The Mitford Murders
  
  
  Bright Young Dead
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # [Copyright](part0004.html#toc-copyright)
  
  
  Published by Sphere
  
  
  ISBN: 978-0-7515-7391-6
  
  
  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the
  public domain, are fictitious and any resemblanc