NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia /Florida Newswire – National News/ — “Debris” (ISBN: 978-1834185095), is a new memoir by artist and writer Josie Lapiz Smith and released by Tellwell Publishing December 20, 2025. The book recounts a deeply personal story of love and survival shaped by the devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer Bushfires. Through quiet reflection and unflinching honesty, Josie documents her life with her husband, the emotional aftermath of losing him during the fires and the long process of rebuilding life while raising their young daughter alone.
What began as an unconventional online connection grew into a shared life and family, ultimately altered by tragedy. When the bushfires consumed Josie’s rural property in New South Wales, they also claimed the life of her husband, who died while trying to protect their home. Debris traces the aftermath of that loss-both the physical destruction left behind and the psychological toll of grief, trauma, and sudden single parenthood.
Written with restraint and tenderness, “Debris” examines how love endures beyond loss. As Josie navigates profound grief and mental health challenges, her bond with her daughter becomes an anchor and a reason to continue. The memoir follows her gradual journey toward healing, marked by difficult choices, personal growth, and the search for stability in a life permanently changed.
Interwoven throughout the narrative are vivid reflections on place and memory. In one passage, Josie returns to her fire-ravaged property, describing melted metal, erased landmarks, and a familiar landscape rendered unrecognizable. These moments ground the memoir in lived experience, offering readers an intimate look at how disaster reshapes both environment and identity.
“Debris” will resonate with readers who have experienced deep loss, navigated mental health challenges, or sought meaning after tragedy. It also speaks to broader conversations around resilience, recovery, and the long-term human impact of natural disasters.
Josie brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her writing. She is currently a member of Eurobodalla Writers. An active participant in regional art communities in the late 1990s and early 2000s, she was involved with ALAB (Association of Local Artists in Bukidnon, the Red Lambago Arts Collective, and later became part of Arkadia Collective. Now based in Australia, she continues to support and engage with the arts, drawing inspiration from nature and family through her work as a painter and photographer.
Originally trained as a licensed pharmacist in the Philippines, Josie migrated to Australia to start a family and later worked in aged care as a Home Care Worker. Following her husband’s death, she pursued formal study in psychology to better understand trauma and recovery, graduating with a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences from Swinburne University in December 2024.
“Debris” is a testament to love, loss, and the resilience that can emerge when everything else falls away.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josie Lapiz Smith is an author, an artist, and photographer based in Australia. Her work is informed by her experiences, mental health advocacy, and a lifelong engagement with the arts. She also works as a public servant with NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
BOOK SUMMARY:
Author: Josie L Smith
Email: authorpress@tellwell.ca
Buy Link: https://a.co/d/frCndSZ
Genre: Memoir
Released: December 2025
PAPERBACK ISBN-13: 9781834185095
Publisher: Tellwell ( https://tellwell.ca/ )
Learn More: https://a.co/d/frCndSZ
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NEWS SOURCE: Author Josie L Smith. Story was sourced from a press release issued by Send2Press® and used with permission. View the original story at: https://www.send2press.com/wire/memoir-debris-explores-love-loss-and-resilience-after-australias-black-summer-bushfires/
