Growing up poor, fatherless and unwanted in a small Canadian town in the 1950’s, Patricia Barton had plenty be sorry about. Spitting out the host at her Holy Communion it seemed that she had even failed God. ‘Shame on you – You should be ashamed of yourself.’ I was ashamed. Ashamed of all the things I have done wrong and ashamed of all the things I should have done. Life was hard. I tried not to make mistakes.

After years of abuse and neglect, Patricia ran away from home at the age of 13, searching for her father and a better life. Instead she finds herself in an orphanage, alone and abandoned again. Refusing to give up on her dreams, her persistence and passion for learning win her a scholarship. At 16, when released from the Home, she goes to live with her older sister in a tiny room. Life still has challenges but she is making her own way. Patricia’s journey is a heart-warming and at times confronting. It is a series of adventures - picaresque, interesting and sometimes even bizarre - but through it all she never loses sight of her dreams. She wins a beauty contest, travels to Europe, becomes an actress and moves to Australia with her new husband where she becomes a successful model and furthers her education. Where she once seemed destined to be homeless and alone she has now built a fulfilling life in the “Lucky Country” with a dream home, opportunities and family of her own.

A beautifully written and inspiring memoir, Why God Hates Me is the before and after story of a gutsy teenager who succeeds despite the odds. It is a story that shows what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own happiness and let hope and optimism shine through. It is a Cinderella story that has stood the test of time with the ultimate prize – happiness!