We all remember the Netflix hit Adolescence. Jack Thorn, the writer of Adolescence is adapting the incredible story of Suzanne Heywood into a new 4 part series.

Suzanne is an author, a business leader, and child survivor of an extraordinary and scary life at sea. Suzanne spent nearly a decade (ages 7 to 17) living on board her parents’ boat Wavewalker, following her father’s dream of recreating Captain Cook’s third voyage. But, what was meant to be a three year family adventure actually became a childhood of captivity.

Suzanne was isolated, unable to receive a proper education and at one point she spent weeks with a fractured skull that required multiple operations without anaesthesia on a tiny remote island. Suzanne survived shipwrecks, emotional neglect from her parents, and eventually battled her way to Oxford and a career at Cambridge.

Today we talk about:

Suzanne’s childhood in captivity on the boat
How life at sea felt like a cult
The neglect and ‘jealousy’ of her mother
Having multiple surgeries for her fractured skull on a remote island without anaesthesia
Suzanne’s determination to get an education
Being abandoned at 16 in New Zealand without a visa and their attempts to deport her
Her relationship with her parents now
No authorities intervening and why we should question these situations when kids are involved

You can get a copy of Wavewalker from Suzanne’s website

You can find Suzanne on Instagram

You can watch us on Youtube

Find us on Instagram

Join us on tiktok

Or join the Facebook Discussion Group

Tell your mum, tell your dad, tell your dog, tell your friend and share the love because WE LOVE LOVE! Xx

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.