by Barbara Gurney (Author)

1968. After her father gambles away the family home, seven-year-old Kate and her mother, Nora Wallace, move to Chidley House, a quaint boarding house in Fremantle, where Nora is employed.

Alice Chidley occasionally allows Kate to watch the newly acquired TV, presenting an illusory world to the young child. Ex-teacher, Miss Tillman encourages her to be more than "Just Kate". Stan and Syd Blennerhasset fuel Kate's imagination with facts and made-up stories. With this background of fantasy unintentionally created, Kate warms to make-believe and hidden truths as a way out from her unwanted existence. When Chidley House is sold, Stan gives Kate a diary as a parting gift.

After leaving school, Kate endures a job in a cafe and evening typing classes. Absorbing etiquette and subtle manipulation from her new wealthy friend, Fiona Noble, she waits for the opportunity to have a similar lifestyle, embellishing her family's situation and social standing with untruths.

1977. Securing a job at an upmarket boutique as Katisse Blanchard, Kate is worlds away from her past. Her subtle lies continue as she builds a life amongst society's elite, recording her exploits in a diary.

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