I needed people to know that surviving does not mean forgetting — and that even in the darkest place, love can be your light and your anchor.
Athalie Collier – 26 October 2026
The Back Flap
⚠️ Content Warning: This memoir covers childhood sexual abuse, trauma, grief, and profound loss. I share this upfront out of deep respect forreaders.
This book is about my life. No child should live through what I did. What my stepfather did to me. It’s about the good, the bad and the ugly. It is about a love story that everyone tried to break up. The love of my life. A long distance love affair. A family jail at home. I tried to get away, then ended up being mentally abused by his family, who were mean and hated me. Why did they attack me the way they did? In the end the love story ended sadly. Life can be so sad and mean.
Miss you, love you, Papa. God will look after you. And you’re not dead yet. The last words he said to me were, “I still love you” as his family took him away from me and blocked me from seeing him. The love of my life, my children’s dad. You will always be in my heart. I was always there for you. I still love you too.
About the book
What is the book about?
Family Jail is my true story: surviving a childhood home that should have been safe but was not, finding freedom, and discovering a love that outlasted every barrier, distance, and even death. It is as much a love story as it is a survival story — about King, my soulmate, the father of my children, and the only person who ever truly saw me. I wrote it so I would never forget his love, and so my truth would exist in the world.
When did you start writing the book?
I began putting these memories down after King was taken from me — when I was denied the chance to say goodbye in person. Writing became my way of holding onto him, and of reclaiming my own life and voice after years of being silenced.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took a long time — years of remembering, crying, healing, and piecing it all together. I am dyslexic, so words do not always come easily to me, but this story was too important to leave untold. I poured every part of myself into it.
Where did you get the idea from?
The idea came from life itself — my life. King’s love. The pain I carried, and the freedom I fought for. I needed people to know that surviving does not mean forgetting — and that even in the darkest place, love can be your light and your anchor.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Every part about the abuse and the isolation was hard. But the hardest part was writing about the end — when we were kept apart, his family blocking me out even when he was sick and dying. Reliving that heartbreak was almost too much to bear.
What came easily?
Writing about King — our farm days, our children, his kindness, his voice, and the way he loved me. Those memories were warm and clear; they flowed from my heart onto the pages like he was right there beside me again.
About You & Your Journey
Where are you from?
I am from New Zealand — the land, the farms, the rivers, and the mountains are part of who we are. King and I built our life here, and this is where my story is rooted.
What do you hope readers take away from your story?
I want them to know:
- You can survive even the worst beginnings.
- Real love is loyal, enduring, and stronger than cruelty.
- You are allowed to speak your truth, no matter how long it takes.
- And that no one has the right to lock you away — you deserve freedom, dignity, and to be seen.
Is there a message you want to share about love and loss?
Love is not just for the easy days. It stays with you when people try to separate you. It lives in your children, your memories, and your heart. Even when you cannot be together in person — his last words to me were “I still love you” — and that truth never dies.
What are you working on next?
Right now, I am focused on sharing Family Jail — making sure my story reaches people who need it, and building a future where I can stand on my own two feet, earn a living, and one day rest in peace beside King, as we were meant to be.
End of Interview:
Get your copy of Family Jail from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
