Born in Fiji, Lisha Miller was given away to her grandparents when she was a few months old. Miller’s separation from her immediate family during her youth created intense feelings of unworthiness that continued to haunt her throughout adulthood. Yearning for Acceptance is based on these experiences.

The novel evolves around the protagonist, Lanisha, as she struggles through a childhood fraught with rejection and ridicule. During her adult years, she is entangled in a series of destructive relationships. Migrating to Australia and moving from state to state, Lanisha continually suffers from her family’s lack of acceptance, a spurning that triggers irrational life decisions.