'I was seven years old. Do you honestly think I would tell the truth so that I could get beaten again the minute the police left?' Just as an elegant swan emerges from the gaucheness of a young cygnet, Melanie Jones struggles to escape the darkness of a terrible abusive life. Deep shame and fear are constant companions. Her music is the one haven where she is able to nd temporary reprieve from the awfulness of her life. Her mother's tragic murder is the turning point in Melanie's life.