Melanie Wright

Crown of Iron Melanie Wright

One thing I've learned while dancing on the hot coals that fester beneath assault, betrayal, dishonesty, suicide, and unexpected loss, is that it's important to tell your story! No matter who you are, your story matters. So often we're embarrassed by the things that happen to us that we don't share or offload them, leaving them instead to seethe. My journey, filled with wrong turns, sideswipes, and Murphy's law clangers, has taught me to leave my face at the door and carry my heart in my hands as I reach out to a jarring world. This is my attempt to heal it. This book is a close look at who I am in my nerves, bones, and steel. It is the true story of how I claimed my wings and rose from a harrowing abyss against the odds. In 2018 I took a leap of faith and that leap earned me the Mrs. Universe SA title. With the crown on my head, I stood in awe, breathless; crowned despite a pantomime of unbearable flukes that had threatened to destroy me more than once. Going on to represent South Africa at the Global Mrs. Universe Pageant in the Philippines, I slowly but surely came to terms with the crippling events that ripped holes in places so deep and sore I thought I might never find the words to do them justice. This story is about homelessness, helplessness, and hope. Through the depths of poverty, the pits of prison, and the fraying edges of false accusations, I found my symphony. This is MY story.