In the Best Interests

A story for anyone who’s ever asked: what would I risk to do what’s right?

Papua New Guinea, 1980s: a fascinating and dangerous country. Idealistic, newly arrived teachers, John and Elisa Mendzela, step into a world of rich culture, eager learners—and buried secrets. When evidence of widespread sexual exploitation of students lands in their hands, they join a small group of colleagues trying to stop the abuse quietly, through official channels.

But the corrupt are protected and the whistleblowers punished. Events spiral into firings, threats of deportation, media exposés, student uprisings and armed police on campus. John and Elisa are forced into a high-stakes battle for justice that shakes a young nation still reckoning with its colonial past.

In the Best Interests is a gripping true story of courage, corruption, colonial legacy, and the cost of standing up when it’s easier to stay silent.

Illustrated with striking photos and authentic documents, the book combines the twists and turns of a crime thriller with deep insights into indigenous people grappling with the challenges of true independence.