Colleen McCullough was always resistant to the idea of writing an autobiography, believing that books about the self tend to be ‘stuffed to pussy’s bow with boring bits.’ So she left those out and wrote a series of essays, some of which touch on events in her adventurous life. Here are the clues, the philosophy of life and the beliefs that shaped the mind of Australia’s most brilliant author: the impulsive, confused, thoughtlessly cruel mother; the miserly absentee father the brother she loved dearly and what Colleen thought about all manner of things including the Crucifixion, Midsomer Murders, William Shakespeare, the journalist who believed cat farts harmed the planet and unelected power.