Land of the Unexpected

In 1967, fresh from her training, Joy steps into a world few outsiders have seen. In Papua New Guinea, she travels from the humid Sepik coast to the rugged Highlands, where childbirth can mean life or death and every day brings the unexpected.

Working in remote clinics and isolated communities, Joy witnesses a society in extraordinary transition - where ancient traditions meet the rush of the modern world. Roads, planes, and new ideas arrive almost overnight, reshaping lives that have remained unchanged for generations.

Honest, vivid, and deeply human, this memoir offers a rare glimpse into a land - and a moment in history - that can never be seen again.