She survived earthquakes, fires, and wars in Greece, to live with dignity in Australia

For Dionysia Mousoura from Zakynthos, life in exile was anything but easy. Yet what she left behind in Greece—starvation, disease, natural disasters, and human suffering—had steeled the islander’s character for the challenges she faced on the shores of Australia. Dionysia managed to escape the factories where hundreds of her compatriots were tested: she studied, became a teacher, and later, a writer. However, she never forgot the war sirens, the claustrophobic ship’s hold, or the struggles of a woman immigrant.