Lucia Domenica was the only daughter in a volatile immigrant household on the fringes of Sydney, where Christmas gifts were few and being called 'the only kangaroo in the family' was as affectionate as it got. Engaged at 14 and married by 17, she learned early how to survive - sometimes by staying silent, other times by speaking up when it mattered most.One of her most cherished childhood gifts was a powder-blue Smith Corona typewriter. Battered but beautiful, it helped her journal her way through life's storms. Though she left school at 15, she never stopped learning, holding tight to the belief that knowledge - and a bit of courage - might one day lead to freedom.Over the years, Lucia lived through love, loss, multiple marriages and more name changes than she can count. She witnessed real tragedies, like the Granville train disaster, and found herself unintentionally caught up in murders and mysteries that spanned more than two decades.In 1998, she entered the sex industry - first on the phone lines, then in brothels - to support her family. As Operator 56, she didn't just survive - she found her voice. The work, once born from desperation, became a lifeline, connecting her to strangers, stories and a strength she never knew she had.Lucia is now an accomplished artist, an educator of children and a truth-teller by heart. Operator 56 is her debut memoir - and a fierce reminder that the truth, even the messy kind, is worth telling.