Dancing with My Daddy - a daughters journey

Dancing with My Daddy – a daughters journey

When Valery Murphy’s new book Dancing with my Daddy landed on the desk of Hope 103.2’s morning announcer Katrina Roe, she thought it might make for a good radio interview.   However, the more she read, the more Katrina was struck by the uncanny similarities between the life of Valery’s father and her own Grandfather.Both served […]

By Katrina RoeThursday 28 Jul 2011Hope MorningsGuests and ArtistsReading Time: 2 minutes

When Valery Murphy’s new book Dancing with my Daddy landed on the desk of Hope 103.2’s morning announcer Katrina Roe, she thought it might make for a good radio interview.   However, the more she read, the more Katrina was struck by the uncanny similarities between the life of Valery’s father and her own Grandfather.

Both served with the 51st Highland Division in the Second World War and were part of the rear guard which held off the advancing German troops during the famous evacuation of Dunkirk. Both were captured at the French coastal town of St Valery in 1940, spending many years in Nazi prisoner of war camps.  To add to the uncanny coincidence, both men spent time in India, emigrated to Australia after the war, lived in Adelaide and even died in the same year – 1970.

For Valery, it was exciting to meet for the first time a direct relative of one of the soldiers who fought alongside her father.  “It’s not only uncanny, I have never met anyone before that had relatives in that particular Division,” Valery told Hope 103.2.  “It’s an amazing connection.”

In the book, which is part-memoir, part spiritual self-help, Pastor Valery Murphy reflects on her relationship with her father and draws on her experiences to help other women.  Dancing with My Daddy explores how each of us can grow and learn from life’s relationships.  Valery says her book began as a story about an abusive father.  “But what I found when I started to write the book is that every father has those areas where they love their child and you can discover those areas and that’s what I did.  And it ended up being a book about a father who loved me deeply, but didn’t know how to show it.”

Valery hopes her story will help many other women find the hope and healing they need.

Listen Now –  Valery Murphy shares about her relationship with her father as recorded in her book Dancing with My Daddy