Maggie Wilson was born in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to Melka Amp Jara, a native of the highlands, and Patrick Leahy, brother of Australian explorers Michael and Daniel Leahy. Wilson's life serves as a window into the complex social and cultural transformations experienced during the early years of the Australian administration in Papua New Guinea and the first three decades after independence.

This ethnography-started as an autobiography and completed by Rosita Henry after Wilson's death in 2009-tells Wilson's story and the stories of those whose lives she touched. Their recollections of Wilson offer insights into life in Papua New Guinea today.