Impossible: My Story

by Stan Walker

For the first time, the incomparable R&B superstar Stan Walker tells his story of hurt, hope and courage. After definitively winning the 2009 season of Australian Idol at the age of 19, R&B sensation Stan Walker's career went from strength to strength. His first album, Introducing Stan Walker, went platinum in Australia and triple platinum in New Zealand; his second; From the Inside Out, debuted at number one on the New Zealand Albums Charts and number two on the ARIA charts. He's won multiple New Zealand Music Awards, been a judge on The X Factor NZ, and played starring roles in films Mt Zion and Born to Dance.

Yet few knew what he had had to overcome reach these dizzying heights.

Before Australian Idol, Walker had survived a childhood marred with poverty, domestic violence and sexual abuse; dabbled in crime and drug use; and suffered his own personal tragedy. For the first time, he speaks candidly about his rags-to-riches story - and the trials and tribulations he's had to deal with since.

The trans-Tasman R&B superstar's raw and open memoir is a lesson that no matter how many setbacks, no matter the odds, you will succeed if you have the courage and belief to do so.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir, Mental Health, Music, Family

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Stan Walker is an Australian-born New Zealand singer, actor, and television personality. In 2009, Walker was the winner of the seventh and last season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. In December 2009, Walker released his debut studio album, Introducing Stan Walker, which included the hit single, "Black Box". The album debuted at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It also appeared on the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).

In October 2020, Walker released an autobiography titled Impossible: My Story.A compilation album was released to coincide with the album, titled Impossible (Music by the Book). The album peaked at number 22 on the New Zealand chart.

Abridged from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stan Walker speaks openly and honestly about his life up until now, a life many of us would never have wanted to live. At an early age, Stan suffered daily physical and mental abuse, which no child should ever have to endure, but unfortunately many do.

Stan's love for music helped him escape the day-to-day abuse. While he loved to listen to music, he also loved to sing. When he auditioned for Australian Idol, he never dreamed he might win, but he did and it helped change his life. This would begin a new chapter in his life, one which would take him places that he never imagined would be possible.

I first heard about this book through The Better Reading group, but I didn’t read his book first I went and downloaded a few of his songs. I have to say that as soon as I heard his voice, I was amazed and I thought to myself that this young man really knew how to sing. I received his book as a Christmas gift and couldn’t wait to read it. I have to warn readers that this book addresses difficult-to-read issues of abuse, rape, suicide and addiction. Not only did I find this to be an incredible story, but I also found it very interesting to learn about Stan’s culture.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although there were parts, especially where Stan talked about his abuse I felt sad and sorry for him. Stan Walker is a strong willed young man who I’m sure will continue to have a bright and successful future and I look forward to seeing what the next chapter in his life will have in store for him. Highly recommended.

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let's get one thing out of the way. Impossible couldn't be nominated for the Ockham's (NZ Book Awards) last year as although Stan's voice shines through, he had the services of a ghostwriter, Margie Thomson. The Ockham rules are clear - the majority of the book has to be written by the writer.

For the most part Ms Thomson does a sterling job of organising Stan's thoughts, although the ending of the book rambles a bit.

For those of you who don't know him, Kiwi Stan Walker won the final series of Australian Idol aged only 19. Stan has the voice of an angel, but that isn't the most remarkable thing about him. What is truly remarkable is Stan's ability to forgive a nomadic childhood full of physical and sexual abuse.

...but when we landed on the Gold Coast the heat was a whole other thing. It was so hot it shocked us when we got off the plane. And there was Pāpā, and we had our new beginning. But of course we didn't. You can't just move somewhere else and expect the problem to change. You're the problem, and you take it with you wherever you go. Be a drug dealer and a rip off and an abuser in New Zealand, you'll be exactly the same in Australia. It was all exactly the same, and the cops started coming around to get my dad, just like they did back home.

Since this is real life, I don't consider it a spoiler to say Stan's whole immediate family healed through finding their faith, although finding out some truths was hard for them. And I haven't even touched on Stan getting stomach cancer...

Not a perfect book, but still very highly recommended.

Those of you who would like to discover Stan's voice... Much to my surprise I found that Stan himself doesn't care much for this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZmKO...

And my favourite is the duet he sang with fellow Kiwi Ginny Blackmore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGym_...

https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reality, the chances of anything good happening in my life are virtually nil. I am already a statistic. What is the likely outcome for a kid whose parents have both been in jail? My world from my earliest being has been filled with drugs and violence and sex - things no kid should even know about. Our kitchen cupboards never have enough in them. My chances in life are not pointing in the direction of any hope at all.
But I am the impossible made possible.
My whānau is the impossible made possible.
I'm ready to tell my story.

I've been looking forward to reading this ever since it was published last year. Like many I watched the documentary Stan* a couple of years ago, and was interested to expand on everything that it covered, which this book does very well, diving deep into the years before that film, the the ones after. Having finished the book, I'm surprised that it's actually fairly short -- 338 pages. Stan's life story is fascinating, brutal, funny and inspiring. It seems predictable to use inspiring, but it fits, and while I do find his career success a part of that inspirational aspect, it's more reading about everything his family has been through and how far they've come and how close they are that had the biggest impact. His childhood makes for harrowing reading, and he flinches away from nothing. At times this was difficult to read, but I appreciated his candour. The abusive aspects of his youth are constant, but there were many positive points too, the good and bad at the same time.

I think I always understood, though, that my life had this massive contradiction in it. I had the stuff going on at home - being scared, getting beaten, being frightened for my mum, being frightened of my dad. That was ugly. But everything else was beautiful. It was the best and the worst possible. Complete polar opposites.

It's amazing to read about his terror of his father when he was a child, knowing how close they are now. The book also details the Australian Idol, process and his win.

Where we grew up, we had to be given an opportunity because we didn't know how to get it otherwise. That's what Idol was for me.

And then there is the cancer, which I was already familiar with, though the book adds some new information too. It's fun to hear Stan's delight about being skinny now, being able to wear anything he wants -- I can't remember if it was in this book or an interview, but he jokes about being shallow for being so pleased about the weight loss--- it's a positive kind of shallow though, if that makes sense! Since that time, you can see the great time he is having a great time with fashion and it's actually really lovely. At least there was an upside to having to have his stomach removed.

I went through all those operations because I had no choice. But here I am, skinny, and I'm loving it.

When I reached the end of the book, I started watching the show The Walkers which I am halfway through now. It's funny, though I was sad to learn about Stan's dad having cancer. I hope his treatment goes well.

I would of course recommend this if you are a fan of Stan Walker, but it's also an excellent book chronicling poverty and abuse and overcoming that and making an effort as a family to break that cycle... and succeeding. This is as much about the Walkers as it is about Stan, and that they went through so much and have come so far is what I think what elevates this story and makes it so powerful, whether or not you follow Stan's music career.

*A review for Stan:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...
and an article that covers a lot of it, worth reading, though I highly recommend the documentary if you can access it:
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2018...

This review from The Spinoff (of this book) is worth reading:
https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/08-10-...

Watch "STAN’S STORY" on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/aoVl8mc48z4

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gripping read, I couldn't put it down. Loved Stan's raw storytelling, Māori perspective and the unfiltered look at his highs and low. My new favourite NZ memoir for sure.

[Steve Worsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most honest and transparent biography I've ever read, and I have read many. It could have been a dull and pointless recounting of his musical accomplishments but instead Stan chooses to give us an uncensored account of who he really is. I am in awe of his vocal talent, but as it turns out, his message outweighs the significance of his talent. If we could all come to terms with our past and reflect openly about it as Stan does, the world would be a much more hope-filled place.

Stan credits faith in God for the 'impossible' changes that have happened in his life. He highlights the difference between trying to be good, and having a relationship with God as well as any preacher, yet this book never felt preachy. Perhaps this is because he is still honest about his failures after his conversion to Christ.

Stan's identity as Maori is crucial to who he is. Yet his success in music has taken him deeper into the mechanisms of western culture than many pakeha will ever go. As a middle class pakeha reading this story, I was stunned reading about the abuse of his childhood. Yet the shopping sprees he went on in Europe after his musical successes, are equally hard for me to relate to. Both leave an awful taste for me. Yet his honesty and non-judgmentalism won me over entirely.

I have long admired Stan for his vocal ability. But I'm a much bigger fan having read his story. Everyone should read this book!

[Grace Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story of redemption. Couldn’t put it down, really gripping storytelling. I appreciated the use of Maori words/concepts and Stan communicated the importance of family, culture, faith and knowing where you’re from. The glossary in the back and the helplines was a really thoughtful touch too. Definitely has themes that could be tough and triggering for some, but was very honest and in that showed the magnificence of change in his/his families life.

[Sarah Lodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it's gritty and doesn't shy away from home-truths. I got a better understanding of the people of my own country through reading this. Stan admits he is broken and is gradually piecing himself together. He is doing this through family, friends and culture.
He's excited about the resurgence of Maori culture and through his words, so am I. I would go as far as saying this should be a textbook read by NZ high school students as it is about resilience, forgiveness and redemption. People such as Stan, can go through rape, sexual abuse and cancer and still live a good life and walk tall.
It is also about his rise to stardom, singing and song writing; giving good background info to this side of his life.

[Jayne Downes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stan Walker certainly does expose himself in this biography about his 30 years of life so far and it was fascinating to read. His singing success in Australian Idol in 2009 helped him turn his life around and get started in a music career.However this demanding career and also as he later pursued acting gave him huge challenges. Stan was expelled from all the schools he attended; regularly beaten, raped , found God and suffered cancer. He values his Maori heritage and is very forgiving to his parents who treated him badly growing up. His story will help other going through experiences like him in his very eventful life.

[Merryn Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love that this was clearly written by the subject himself (and articulates so well the challenging, exciting, heartbreaking journey of resilience he’s been on) but think this could’ve been even greater with more support through the editing process.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stan Walker has delivered a powerful memoir that shows us that the strength of his voice is not limited to the harmonies in his music. Walker speaks candidly about the traumatic experiences of his childhood and how he continues to overcome his internal wounds in an effort to heal and inspire his people.

Admittedly, there were some moments where I tuned out, specifically when he takes us through the journey of his music career, this is more so due to my lack of interest on the topic. However, the rawness in which he opens up about domestic violence, poverty and child abuse is exceptional. The process that he undertakes to forgive and understand the family members that tormented him as a young boy takes immense courage and a profound sense of self. A must read.

[Thomas Edmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start with Impossible? There is a lot to cover about Walker's life and its hard to do so usefully and not just recap everything with exclamation marks!

I've been a fan of Stan (LOL) since he won Australian Idol, but I confess I never really followed anything about his life behind the music until more recently learning about his family history of severe stomach cancer. Something which stood out to me as uniquely challenging and reminded me to be thankful for what health and time we all have.

Second I noticed that Walker was singing a lot more Te Reo and focussing on Maori culture which I really enjoyed and as a Pakeha I'm always trying to learn more but in a natural way (e.g. listening to music not using Google translate).

So I guess with those vague facts in mind I had the opportunity to grab Impossible and was very keen to start reading. Imagine my surprise when Walker's story contained so much more, so one thing just about every childhood trauma you can imagine. Something that Walker decided to publish honestly and openly which I think is well, ultra brave given that many of his aggressors are in fact his own whanua (family) who are still alive and reading. Walker doesn't just talk about his traumas but also his wahnua's progress over the years and its somehow just as harrowing. He talks about how his father had an image of finding Jesus and ceasing to be an abuser (that's the public story) but the reality is that violence continued not only for several years, but abuse in some form continued for decades.

Walker's expression of his grappling with mental health and trauma is blunt, but accessible and while not every outcome is rainbows and sunshine, Walker's positivity and bravery does shine through the stories. Its awesome to hear about his connection to culture and the Reo (language) as being healing rather than run-of-the-mill therapy. His surgeries and challenges from cancer almost could have seemed straightforward compared to his difficult childhood, but were equally tough to hear.

Walker and his ghost writer present a very 'kiwi' style narrative, that is somewhat casual in style, but with hidden depth and seriousness. A times the story of Stan Walker's life bounces around, more based on topic than chronology, but strangle it works, other than trying to keep up with his Whakapapa (family history and connections) I never felt lost or confused with what Walker was telling.

All in all, an amazing read, far more difficult and harrowing than I realized it would be, but I'm proud of Walker's achievements and to be such an NZer despite them!

[Ash’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I struggled to read this book. I was about a quarter of the way through, Stan was only 8 years old, and I had to put the book down. Reading about it is nothing compared to what Stan went through. As a warning, he writes about child abuse and rape, and it’s intense.
📖
I actually loved how raw, unfiltered and honest it was. It’s so inspiring to read something so open and to fully understand how someone else grew up. I feel like this book has changed how I view the world; specifically forgiveness, making the most of life, and being more open minded about how people grow up in different environments and cultures, learning different things.
📖
Stan is such an inspiration and I feel privileged to be able to read his story. I loved the writing. If you’ve watched interviews with Stan, or heard him talk, you know he’s bubbly, laughing and he’s just got his own vibe. I felt that reading it. I could hear his voice saying the words. That was awesome.
📖
A quote that I’ve thought a lot about is: “Never forget that the person who deserves the most blame also, maybe, deserves the most compassion.” This is a story of love, hope, faith, whānau and forgiveness, and I loved it. I have a book hangover after reading this, and I just want to give Stan a big hug. ❤️❤️❤️

[Kirsty Lickfold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another interesting biography. I liked that the history is all local and so you can connect to the places he is referring too. Inspirational and encouraging for Maori people and a reminder for Pakeha of our privilege. Also quite cool that he talks about his relationship with the church and Jesus casting it in a really positive light.

[Kiwiflora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stan the man. What a man, what a story, what a journey. An account so honest, so heart breakingly raw, really, Stan should not even be alive after the terrible things that happened to him in his childhood. Damaged parents produce damaged children generation after generation - to somehow break that cycle of appalling domestic violence and sexual abuse would seem to be impossible - impossible to survive, impossible to fix. And yet Stan does it, with God on his side, the overwhelming power of forgiveness, redemption, and love.

The guy is only 30 and yet he has lived a life full, of good and bad, poverty and riches, hatred of self evolving to love and acceptance of self, childhood dreams come true, faith, determination. So much life lived in such a short space of time. Only 30 years old with the wisdom of someone twice his age or more.

I didn't know Stan's story really aside from it being a bit of a Once Were Warriors story, and that he won Australian Idol of course. Who doesn't know that bit! I remember watching his audition video ages ago and being entranced by this nervous, shambolic young lad who became completely bewitching the moment he started playing his guitar and opening his singing voice. Magnificent. Even then.

Ghost writer Margie Thomson has contributed equally to this book, pulling the story together, collecting the many threads of this young man's life, his deepest thoughts, his compassion, his kindness. It is a wonderful collaboration. Not only is there an insight into the man that Stan is, but also a true privilege to be let into the good parts of Stan's childhood and there were good times on the family marae, growing up with siblings, cousins. His enormous love and respect for his aunts, uncles, grandparents, his tupuna, his origins, where he came from, his everything, his foundations.

This is a book I have wanted to read ever since it was published, and it will sit proudly on my shelf. But only after I share it round the book clubs I belong to, because it deserves to be read and shared and celebrated.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful story. Walker may not have had the best school experiences but he is an incredibly wise person - even more so considering his age. I appreciated hearing about both his Maori heritage & culture and his Christian beliefs as they apply to him personally (and not once did I find his book preachy). I have incredible respect for him telling his whole story - warts and all - he is amazingly brave and generous. I gained an understanding of the ways that Walker's darker experiences have played a part in who he is today and and how he has made sense of it all while moving forward with his life, kicking goals. Thought provoking and inspiring. In the words of another reviewer, favourite NZ memoir for sure. Thank you for sharing your story, and all the best Stan!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stan Walker has experienced so much already in his short life. He tells of all those (the good and the bad) that woven together have made him the impressive man he is today. I particularly liked reading about his connection to his whenua, whanau, and tikanga maori.
Particular thanks to Stan for bringing to life the song 'Aotearoa' - it does feel like the 'Poi E' of our generation.

[Natasha O'connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most incredible stories of forgiveness.

[Alicia Denize-Niha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful depiction of a raw and inspiring life. I especially enjoyed the overview of his whakapapa and insight into living in a Maori world, ka pai Stan xx

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best writing, but a crazy life and story. Definitely could have been edited down/better!

[Stephanie Tupaea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really inspiring story - didn't know he had gone through as much as he has. The forgiveness that he extends to his father is extraordinary and his message of hope for fellow Maaori is amazing. At times, he shared details that I didn't feel were necessary, but other than that, it was a riveting read.

[Ivana - Diary of Difference]

Adding this book to my list, because I saw it on a UFC 269 Embedded Vlog (episode 5), and it was on Kai Kara France's bedside table.

Love finding gems like this where I least expect them!

[Adélie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words. That was an amazing book. His empathy, forgiveness, and understanding is just mind blowing.

[Colleen Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was very impressed with Stan's honesty throughout this book

[Jo-Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best memoirs I've ever read. Every teacher and social worker needs to read it. Walker's capacity for forgiveness and self-determination is awe inspiring.

[Pania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super relateable book for me as a maori woman and a pa kid, worth a read if you are interested in the ao maori.

[Kyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this memoir yesterday night. All I can say is...wow. Wow. What a powerful testimony that's really moved and resonated with me in indescribable ways.

I discovered Stan Walker's music, firstly with his song I Am for Ava Duvernay's Origin (inspired by Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent) and I was blown away by how incredible Stan's powerful, soulful voice is. Since then I've gone down the figurative rabbit hole of Stan's other songs--New Takeover, Give, Thank You, Human, Māori Ki Te Ao, Find You, Bigger, Matemateāone and I Surrender (which I listened to during a particularly dark moment of emotional and psychological pain and had me crying and sobbing, and this song means a lot to me which I'll explain later in this review)--and Stan's now one of my top male vocalists next to Donny Hathaway, Luke James, David Ruffin, Sam Cooke, Park Hyo-shin, etc.

Anyways, after getting into Stan's musical catalogue and then watching his equally inspiring documentary chronicling his journey of dealing with and surviving stomach cancer, then I watched Stan's 1News special where he told his entire life story of also surviving a horrific upbringing and surviving domestic violence, physical, mental, emotional, verbal, psychological and sexual abuse, rape and molestation which was heavy enough on its own. But then reading Stan's memoir and reading him tell it all in full detail with an unfiltered bluntness was something else--it's equal parts shocking without being sensationalist and heartbreaking, though not hopeless. Stan's raw honesty, openness, frankness and vulnerability is a sight to behold and it's something that I truly admire and respect. This man has been through some stuff and it's only by the grace of God that Stan's still here. Because dealing with all that and also becoming famous so fast so young and then having to also deal with an industry that's extremely racist along with deep mental, emotional, psychological and psychic scars from trauma would literally have anybody else either be strung out on the streets, in jail, in a mental institution or dead.

I also appreciate that Stan acknowledged his own flaws and took accountability for his own actions and behavior, and this is another part of the memoir that shined too: I also got a lot of deep insight into Stan not just as an artist but also as a human being and the many complexities to him, especially with regard to Stan being very much self aware of how his own reckless behaviors, compounded with growing up in a rough and abusive environment, negatively affected not just himself but others. And more so in context of how any of us that have had to grow up in toxic and abusive environments and carry trauma from those upbringings can internalize toxic and pathologically dysfunctional behaviors we've learned and inherited from our parents, and the journey of Stan and his father Ross (RIP) gradually mending and reconciling their relationship and Ross atoning for his vicious and abusive behavior after Jesus changed Ross' heart was moving, compelling and inspiring, and so was Stan's transformation after Jesus changed his heart as well as the heart of his family. And it's something that I empathize with Stan on deeply, as I've survived many of the very same traumas that Stan's survived: I grew up in an environment that was in the dark and oppressive grip of domestic violence as my dad was mentally, verbally, emotionally and psychologically abusive (with one instance of physical abuse) and was very controlling and domineering; my mom and I's relationship was also very fractured and complicated as Stan and his mother April's; I grew up dealing with bullying and I'm a survivor of sexual abuse; I've been dealing with mental illness and mental health problems my entire life, and I've survived back to back nervous breakdowns and psychotic breaks; I've suffered from eating disorders and an addiction to pain relief pills that I'm just now recovering from; both of my families on each of my parents' sides (though more so my mom's side) are very fractured and dysfunctional, rife with a cycle of addiction, brokenness, mental illness, dysfunction and intergenerational trauma; we've also faced a lot of repeated situations of death and the loss of many loved ones in our family. In summary, reading Stan describe his own life story and the story of his family was like reading my own life story and the story of my family. So when I say I empathize with Stan, I'm being serious. And, as Stan and I are both believers in Christ, I ultimately empathize with and am reminded of the encouragement and inspiration I find in how Jesus has had me endure and survive and make it through some of the darkest, most painful moments of my life and mend and heal the silent cracks within my own immediate family. Hence why the song I Surrender had me sobbing and in tears when I first listened to it and still moves me deeply whenever I listen to the song. Stan's openness about his wrestling with God was also interesting; now to be very very very very frank, it was wincing and at times uncomfortable reading descriptions of old Stan's not always great responses to God, but I had to remind myself that Stan was describing his old self when he was still lost. Then seeing God slowly yet powerfully remove the anger in Stan's heart and then Stan coming to know Christ and Stan fully humbling himself and surrending to Christ was beautiful.

And Stan's honesty in discussing taking one day at a time to unlearn toxic pathological behaviors, heal from his traumas and hurt and break the cycle of abuse and toxicity and to move forward with love, forgiveness (both forgiveness of others and forgiving yourself) and reconciliation was refreshingly realistic as that's my life story. It's a gradual change that takes one step at a time. Everybody expects others' stories of trauma and overcoming trauma to be automatically wrapped up in a nice neat bow with everything being hunky dory and all sunshine and that's not how that works. Sometimes God changes people and situations instantaneously and other times God changes people and situations though with a change that takes people's continual work and effort as well as cooperation with God. Especially if people need deliverance from various dysfunctional and pathological behaviors that they're used to. And that's how it was with Russ, April, Stan and the rest of his family--a gradual change. (And Russ and April's stories of growing up abandoned and abused were heartbreaking too.)

(And, a side note: I won't put any armchair labels on Stan. That said, reading his descriptions of struggling with depression, anxiety, severe anger and rage issues, severe low self esteem, mood swings, fractured self image, deep feelings of indescribable fear, paranoia, pain and hurt from facing rejection and abandonment, suicidal ideation, severe self hatred, impulsivity, self harm, suicidal thoughts and feelings, dependency on substances namely alcohol and alcoholism, promiscuity and reckless sex, patterns of intense and unstable relationships, binge eating, reckless spending of money, etc. all sound like a textbook description of borderline personality disorder (BPD). I myself suffer from borderline personality disorder and, sans alcoholism and promiscuity, literally every single thing else that Stan described are BPD symptoms that I suffer from and deal with. And while anybody from any background can suffer from it, people that have BPD are always those that have extremely traumatic upbringings that suffer from it, and many of these characteristics are a mixture of BPD symptoms and trauma responses (due to trauma or traumas faced early on in life that can be catalysts to and amplify these behaviors), especially in regards to some survivors of rape and sexual abuse dealing with hyper-promiscuity as a trauma response later in life. And, in some cases, borderline personality disorder can be comorbid with bipolar disorder, another mental illness I also deal with comorbidly. So that was another aspect of Stan's testimony and overall discussion of mental health that was like me looking at my own mental health journey.)

Another thing that stood out is Stan describing his Māori indigenous heritage and roots + Māori indigenous people, culture, heritage, history, traditions and community and all of its richness and complex beauty. I'm mixed race Afro-Indigenous/Native/First Nations/Aboriginal (with a lot of other ethnic groups lol) and I recently discovered my own extensive Māori and Afro-Māori roots and heritage on both of my families' sides, which I found surprising and interesting as I've always felt a deep unspoken connection to the Māori indigenous people of Aotearoa but couldn't explain why. Then I found the Māori indigenous ancestral roots/whakapapa my family surnames are connected to (on my mom's side: Jones/Honē and Hoani, and Wilson/Wiremu and Wirahana; on my dad's side: Lee, Jackson and Adams/Rī, Hakihona and Ātama), and from there I did more research and found my whakapapa (ancestry), iwi (tribe), hāpu (sub-tribe), awa (river), roto (stream), maunga (mountain), rohe (region), waka (canoes), and I located my marae (meeting grounds)--all of which warmed my heart and I was relieved to find them as I live in America and for a brief moment I wondered if I would find any of them. And thankfully I found them, and now I'm on my own journey of connecting to my Māori indigenous roots and Māoritanga and Māoridom, studying te reo Māori and te ao Māori. Which is why I also really appreciated Stan's use of te reo Māori throughout the book, the glossary translation of te reo Māori words and terms, explaining the many facets of Māoridom, te ao Māori, Māori culture and traditions, addressing the affects of colonization, colonialism, racism and racial discrimination on Māori people and how that coincides with both the fight to preserve and protect Māori indigenous land, culture, traditions, community and people against the very real threat of re colonization at the hands of New Zealand's right wing white supremacist government trying to undo the legal Te Tiriti o Waitangi and basically re colonize Aotearoa and erase Māori indigenous culture--all of which I've been keeping up with and get heated about--and the personal fight to end the cycle of personal trauma and intergenerational trauma.

In conclusion, this was a deep, haunting, powerful, refreshing, inspiring and profound memoir and Stan bares his heart and the deepest recesses of his soul along with the nitty gritty details of his testimony and his life--the good, the bad and the ugly--with an admirable bravery and vulnerability that can't be ignored, and it's the way Jesus has used Stan's testimony to show His great and amazing power to change people's hearts from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh and bring a family out of the cycle of darkness, brokenness, anger, hatred, rage, abuse and dysfunction and into the light of love, respect, forgiveness, accountability, humility, peace, redemption and reconciliation is what truly shines and has left me forever changed in the best way.

Ngā mihi nui, Stan.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stan is completely honest about the things that have happened in his life and hasn’t used his background as a way to define who he is a person today. He spoke openly about the traumas he went through as a child, but has shown that the past doesn’t have shape or influence the person you are today.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brave. Not a great read as far as the writing goes though. He is an “in spite of” no doubt about it and he went through stuff no human should have to. However, giving credit to God for his family’s turn around, further compounded this book’s flaws.

[D.A. Cairns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stan Walker won Australian Idol in 2009 when I was still a fan of the show and that type of show generally. I remember and still enjoy listening to his winner's single Black Box. Ironically, he doesn't like it. That's just one of the many interesting insights into the life of this talented young man contained in his story so far, Impossible.

I found it difficult to read for three reasons: one was the descriptions of physical, verbal and sexual abuse. Reading it painted horrible images in my mind which I'd rather not have. The second reason was something about the way it was written. Stan used a ghostwriter but it reads like him talking so it's a bit disjointed at times and loose, like listening to someone talk who doesn't always do a great job of putting their sentences together and expressing themselves clearly. Thirdly, in some chapters there is so much Maori (indigenous New Zealand) language that I didn't know what he was talking about. There's a glossary but I got lost in the narrative.

There was a lot of grandstanding as well, but I appreciated reading Stan's perspective on being part of of an indigenous minority culture. The situation with the Maori in New Zealand is pretty much the same as with Australian Aboriginals, and indigenous peoples around the world. I respect his strong feelings about his people, their culture and the and of which they are caretakers, and I think he expressed these well, even if repetitively.

Reading about his struggles with identity was the best part for me; particularly his and his parent's conversion to Christianity and how that process is redeeming their horrible family history. That made me feel very hopeful as it should everyone who reads it.

Stan's only a young man. At the time of writing he was 27 so he has a lot more growing to do, but he's lived an incredible life already; parts of which are the stuff of dreams, parts of which, the stuff of nightmares. That he survived such a violent childhood is a miracle for which i thank God for. I thank God for Stan's voice and his powerful testimony.

[Sofia]

Impossible
Stan Walker
When I got to the end of this book I felt a mixture of sadness and relief. At the start of the book, Stan takes us back to his childhood and his upbringing in New Zealand. He reflects on his Maori culture and how it shaped him, and how his faith in God and his close family relationships were the foundations of his success. Through his candid and touching stories, we learn of the struggles and difficulties he faced along the way, as well as the moments of joy, success and personal growth that followed.Here, Stan shares how he found the courage to pursue his dreams and how he was able to overcome the doubts and fears that threatened to keep him from achieving his goals. He talks about the importance of having a strong support system and the power of believing in yourself. He also opens up about his experience with depression and anxiety, and how he was able to cope with them. In summary the book was merely a The writer (Stan Walker) is trying to share his experiences so others who are experiencing something similar dont feel alone. When he describes his suicidal thoughts, his rapist cousin, his need to fit in and his journey with his abusive father, he is trying to show other people they are not alone.“I do what I do for my people, so that what happened to me doesn’t happen to others.”
He is teaching us the importance of whanau and staying together, the importance of land preservation throughout centuries. This furthers my sadness and relief.And it's extremely important to have a relative Maori Leader to express this. Because Maori children all over New Zealand have no idol that is their culture nor one that they can relate to, they need an idol with the same experiences to look up to. The importance of this book in modern day society is essential to understanding the experiences of our new zealand community. And show awareness and support for everybody struggling.