Born by Mistake shares the collective memoirs of a young girl-a dancer and her father's favorite-in South Africa, a young professional in business of travel agencies-tested and jaded by relationships with men, and of a mature woman-a married spouse and mother of a young boy in Greece. Katherine Pappas begins her journey with a silver spoon in her mouth, only to be changed and challenged when her beloved father dies.

In her early adulthood, she faces the problem of forfeiting her dream to be a doctor, and ends up very successful in the travel industry. After a series of accidents, betrayals and the never-ending harsh belittlement from her own mother, she sets off for Greece. There, she meets and marries a man who will give her the gift of a son and the woes of infidelity. Throughout her years, she slowly embraces the truth that no matter how dark and horrid life's events may be, there is still a strong fire within to push on and keep taking in all experiences, one day at a time.