Vivronia was born a girl in the male-dominated Eastern/Arab society. Her mother rejected her at birth because she had black moles on her face and neck. Throughout her childhood and youth, her mother convinced her that love and marriage could never be possible for her. So what opportunities were there for a tall, fat, ugly female with the world in turmoil around her as she tried to survive the Lebanese Civil War? She had to create her own opportunities.

Aged twenty-three years, she met a man, gave him "half a Lira's worth," married him, and obtained a visa to migrate to Australia as...