When Systems Fail: The Real-World Shadows Behind Zachary’s Cry

Every novel is shaped by imagination — but some are also forged in reality.

Zachary’s Cry is fictional, yes. But behind the characters and the courtroom drama lies something deeper: a reflection on how the systems we rely on — medical, legal, and social — can break down under pressure. And when these systems fail, it’s often the most vulnerable who suffer.

The story begins with a birth that should never have unfolded the way it did. A young woman, isolated and ashamed, hides her pregnancy. An overseas-trained doctor, bound by protocol and still adjusting to a culture he doesn’t fully understand, makes a judgement call he believes to be right — but is it? An ambulance crew races against time. And a child is left fighting for life in the wake of it all.

If that sounds dramatic, it’s because it is. But it’s not implausible. Rural medicine in Australia remains stretched. Medical professionals, especially overseas-trained doctors, often face impossible decisions in under-resourced environments. Consent laws are strict — and can leave doctors powerless when patients refuse treatment, even in emergencies.

Then there’s the foster care system — built on the compassion of remarkable people, yet constantly under immense strain. Families willing to care for children with complex disabilities are rare. The weight of bureaucracy, financial uncertainty, and emotional fatigue makes their work as heroic as it is unsung.

But perhaps the most confronting question in Zachary’s Cry is this: what happens when the very systems meant to protect the vulnerable are corrupted by greed?

— When lawyers prioritise financial gain over truth.

— When legal proceedings become battlegrounds for profit, rather than platforms for justice.

In the novel, the role of Neville Kershaw — a solicitor who sees Zachary less as a young boy than a commercial opportunity — is an unsettling reminder that self-interest can seep into the very institutions we trust to do right. When this happens, the human cost can be enormous.

The legal system — like the health and welfare systems — is only as strong as the values of the people working within it.

Zachary’s Cry doesn’t claim to offer solutions. But it does ask hard questions:–

— What does justice look like when everyone has made mistakes?

– How do we hold individuals accountable without ignoring the systems that shaped their choices?

— And what kind of society do we become if we fail to protect our most defenceless?

As the countdown to release day continues, I invite you to think about the quiet tragedies and unsung triumphs playing out every day — in hospitals, medical practices, foster homes, and courtrooms across the country.

Stories like Zachary’s Cry matter. Not because they offer easy answers — but because they compel us to look again - at who we are, who we fail, and who we choose to fight for.

📅 Coming 7th July 2025

Available in paperback and eBook from all major retailers.

Click here for the where to buy page on my website.

Currently only available from Amazon and Books.by. But other options will be available by 7th July.

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