Charmian Clift (1923-1969) was an Australian writer, particularly well known for the many essays she wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald and for her marriage to journalist and novelist, George Johnston.

Long after Charmian’s death by suicide, Suzanne Chick (b. 1942) discovered she was the daughter Charmian Clift had given up for adoption when she was 19. Suzanne had grown up knowing she was adopted.


Searching for Charmian: The Daughter Charmian Clift Gave Away Discovers the Mother She Never Knew (1994) is the result of Suzanne Chick’s decision—at the age of 48—to find out who her mother was.


Searching for Charmian includes photographs of Clift, an important component of Suzanne Chick’s narrative because of the signifance to her of a physical resemblance to the mother she would never have a physical reunion with.