Clouds of Glory

Millie Phillips has written a unique page-turner that details her life and that of her eldest daughter, Lynette, who tragically died at twenty-four.

Arriving in Australia at age nine from Poland in 1938 to escape the threat of Nazism, Millie entered Paddington Public School, learned English, learned shorthand typing and entered the work force at fifteen. At seventeen, she married a man who disliked work. She went to England as a war bride, before returning to Australia with her husband on a ten pound migrant ticket and opened her first shop at eighteen.

In 1956, aged 27, she left the abusive marriage with her three children aged six, three and two. Opened a boarding house with a borrowed $6,000, which she pyramided to become one of Australia's wealthiest self-made women. The media branded her as Mining Millie, Nickel Queen, Woman in a Man's world. She was Australia's first entrepreneurial business woman. It encouraged Australian women to depart their traditional domestic role to assume their rightful place in society.

Millie was the first woman to acquire mineral exploration areas, float and chair public companies. She also created private businesses including land development, building, hospitality, aged care facilities and a string of other ventures. Millie was the first Australian woman to attend Harvard Business Summer School in Hawaii. At eighty-six, she still runs her businesses.

Tel Aviv University, one of the worlds most prestigious, recently awarded her with an Honorary Doctorate for being a philanthropist and an inspiration to women. She has donated some $20 million to schools, children's and religious causes. Her trusts continue donating. Her estate will be left to charity.

Clouds of Glory documents her eldest daughter, Lynette's tragic life caused by her father in his acrimonious divorce. Meanwhile, though wealthy, he paid pittance in family support. Lynette was a highly sensitive, spiritual child who reacted with emotional confusion. All her life she hungered to know which parent to believe. She found the answer in death.

Part two of this story Birth Is But A Forgetting records the five diarised years when Millie achieved her dream of becoming a twentieth century Orpheus who followed the loved one into the Underworld. Millie and Lynette communicated daily. Lynette took her to highly evolved Spirit entities dedicated to spiritualising humankind and to assist the 'dead' to move to higher realms. They taught and showed Millie their world. Only when Lynette was healed and believed her mother was ready to be left did she depart for her future life.

The story is engrossing and beautifully told and will leave readers with a new view of life.