Bungendore 16-year-old Jessica Love has just released her second book - and it's one she and her family struggle to read.
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The clever Open Universities student launched Sometimes at Campbell Primary on Friday, a children's book she wrote and illustrated that grapples with the highs and lows of her father's 13-month Army deployment in 2008.
It was an emotionally draining process for Jessica, whose first book, Soon, dealt with similar themes.
"When I showed it to Dad, it wasn't really anything we had discussed before … it was quite a shock to him, Sometimes more so than Soon, because of how clear it is," she said.
"I don't hold back at all, and it was quite confronting for him.
"Mum still has trouble reading the book and talking about the book, as we all have trouble reading the book."
Lines from the book include "Sometimes when you are gone, I get upset and angry that you miss things that are important to me" and "Sometimes when you're gone, I wonder why your job seems more important to you than me".
The 32-page book was written in 20 minutes after a 3am spark of inspiration and brought feelings of relief for Jessica.
"It allows us to be a lot more open now actually," Jessica said.
"He didn't really talk about that side of things before and now that the book is out we've sort of broken that ice in that area.
"It's a lot easier to talk about when he was deployed, what would happen if he decided to deploy again, and all of that kind of stuff."
Jessica's father, Colonel Shaun Love, said he believed the book had made his family stronger.
"Hearing firsthand how Jess feels means our family has an open dialogue and are not afraid to talk about our emotions," he said.
Sometimes has been sponsored by Defence Health, which will give 1000 copies to its members and families. It is available from Echo Books for $24.95 with $1 from every sale to go to Soldier On.
Jessica said she hoped her book helped Defence families feel less alone.
"These feelings are normal, and I know that it feels like you're alone and like you're the only person who feels that way, but it's normal," she said.
"They just need to remember they're loved and they're brave and they're courageous and individual, special and extremely amazing - not just sometimes, but always."
