Not Without My Girl (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798184634821)

One woman. Two homes. And a journey that begins in paradise and leads her back to herself.

Wendy's wanderlust began the moment she stepped off the plane in Honolulu in 1986. At the tender age of 12, she was captivated by the islands, the ocean, and the spirit of Aloha.

She made a silent promise in her heart to one day return.

At 18 she moved back to attend a spiritual school on the Big Island of Hawaii and her connection to the islands only deepened. She began dreaming of raising a child in the 'āina (land). Years later after becoming a teacher in California, she returned again, this time to teach and build a life in the islands she loved.

Her dream came true when she became hāpai (pregnant) in Hawaii and gave birth to her daughter on the slopes of Mt. Hualalai. She was overjoyed to share her love of the land and sea with her daughter, but everything began to change when her daughter began showing early signs of autism. Paradise began to shift and Wendy made the difficult decision to leave her 'soul-home' in the islands for her 'homeland' of Canada to embrace her family's support. Upon her return, Wendy stepped into the relentless world of advocacy, appointments, and fighting to protect her daughter's beautiful spirit in a world that often rejects diversity.

Wendy became a fierce mama bear, pushing against judgement and systems that didn't always understand her child, and discovering a strength in herself she didn't know she had. That pressure began to alchemize into something beautiful and gave birth to a new confidence and authenticity she had never experienced before.

But the weight of advocacy did not come without a cost. After years of chronic stress, Wendy suffered from an intense panic attack, and it was then she felt prompted by something greater than herself to return to the islands.

This time not seeking a dream, but seeking healing and restoration.

Set between the beautiful back drop of Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii and the West Coast of British Columbia, Not Without My Girl is a story of love, motherhood, resilience, and the fight to protect what matters most. It's a story of transformation and finding the courage to dream and fly again even when life doesn't go as we expected.