EAST Gippsland award-winning journalist Kylie Miller visited Rosedale Library on Friday, July 8, to launch her new children’s book, Albert, The Greyhound Who Loves to Run.
Ms Miller has been a storyteller since she was just a child, carrying her passion and skill into adulthood, working as a journalist and editor at Australia’s leading media outlets and overseas for more than 20 years.
Shortly after saying sayonara to the big smoke of the city skyline, and hello to the serenity of East Gippsland’s natural rolling landscape, Ms Miller and her husband Brett Miller were, like so many others, devastatingly impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires.
Employing her creative written talents, Ms Miller took-in the destruction around her, and set forth on a new professional journey, co-writing her first children’s picture book, Heroes of Black Summer.
Albert, The Greyhound Who Loves to Run is the newest addition to Kylie Miller’s publications, based on the heart-warming true story of Albert, the adopted greyhound.
In 2018, after losing two of their family pets in a short time, with hearts full of love to give, Kylie and Brett began their search for the newest addition to their family.
Alas, after weeks of searching, there he was, Albert.
Kylie and Brett travelled 10 hours from their home in Newlands Arm to Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, where Albert was housed at Country Kats and K9s Rescue.
Thus begins Albert and Kylie’s story.
After returning to Gippsland, it wasn’t long before Albert escaped the safe and loving confinements of the Millers’ yard, jumping the back fence standing a metre-and-a-half tall.
Ms Miller’s latest book retells the lengths to which the Millers and the community of Newlands Arm went to finding Albert, and getting him somewhere he would be safe.
“I was cooking sausages and mince on the barbecue every night for nine weeks to get him to come home,” Ms Miller said.
The story of Albert was not confined to the border lines of Newlands Arm. After Kylie posted about Albert on social media, word travelled like wildfire, appearing on screens across Australia and overseas.
“I had the Greyhound Association from overseas,” Ms Miller exclaimed, still obviously astonished by just how many lives their cheeky little Albert had touched.
Finally, after nine long and stressful weeks, Albert came home. A bitter-sweet moment for the Miller family, as they knew their big brown-eyed boy could no longer stay.
The Millers returned Albert to Rhonda Helman from Country Kats and K9s Rescue in Wagga Wagga, knowing that with her was the best place he could be.
“Rhonda actually messaged me with an update on Albert,” Ms Miller said.
“I am glad to report that Albert is happy and healthy.”
At the Rosedale Library, little (and big) ears listened intently as Ms Miller read the story of Albert and his nine-week-long adventure in Gippsland’s East.
After the story, small guests were given bookmarks and coloured in pictures of Albert the Greyhound as mum and dads took the chance to speak with one of Australia’s finest journalists.
Packing her belongings, Ms Miller headed for Yarram Library, thus ending the excitement for the day at the Rosedale Library.
Albert, The Greyhound Who Loves to Run is available for purchase at Collins Booksellers in Sale.
All proceeds from the book are donated to Rhonda’s animal shelter, Country Kats and K9s Rescue.
