An extraordinary memoir about family, love, belief, redemption and the power of forgiveness Everything has a reason. Everything has a purposeStan Walker is one of the finest singers to emerge from Australia and New Zealand Aotearoa in a generation. When Stan won Australian Idol in 2009, he was thrown head-first into the deep end of the music industry. What followed were some of the highest highs, and the lowest of lows. Few knew about the darkness in Stan's past - the violent upbringing, the sexual abuse and the struggle to be more than just a survivor. áStan Walker: My Story is a personal reflection on life growing up in a family where love and violence were horribly entwined. It's a story about forgiveness and a journey to redemption. It's a tale of a young Maori boy from Tauranga finding his place on the world stage while never forgetting who he is and where he came from. Stan's is a story of survival against impossible odds. Abuse and addiction, poverty and excess, cancer and discrimination - Stan tells it all with startling honesty and insight, and with a wonderful sense of warmth and hope. It's an important and un-putdownable read.