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5★
UPDATE 2017: I have just enjoyed a re-read of Anh’s wonderful memoir and liked it even better this time. I’ve quoted some passages at the bottom of my original notes from 2012.
Original:
I've been a fan of Anh Do's comedy and heard him refer to the fact that he was a Boat Person and his father captained the boat. But I had NO idea how horrendous the journey was or how hard the family worked to look after anyone else that needed help while struggling themselves.
A lot of the stories are told sepa ...more
UPDATE 2017: I have just enjoyed a re-read of Anh’s wonderful memoir and liked it even better this time. I’ve quoted some passages at the bottom of my original notes from 2012.
Original:
I've been a fan of Anh Do's comedy and heard him refer to the fact that he was a Boat Person and his father captained the boat. But I had NO idea how horrendous the journey was or how hard the family worked to look after anyone else that needed help while struggling themselves.
A lot of the stories are told sepa ...more
Anh Do and his family escaped war-torn Vietnam in a rickety boat, one that had far too many people on it, and the journey was extremely dangerous. Anh’s Dad was the pilot of the boat, and he was determined to see all his passengers safe and sound on the shores of Australia.
As refugees in Australia, life was an extreme and constant struggle. But they were determined to survive, and Ahn’s parents worked hard to provide a secure lifestyle for them all. From working late into the night sewing, seve ...more
As refugees in Australia, life was an extreme and constant struggle. But they were determined to survive, and Ahn’s parents worked hard to provide a secure lifestyle for them all. From working late into the night sewing, seve ...more
“There are only two times. Now and too late.”
With humour, warmth and spirit, Anh Do shares his journey from a refugee boat fleeing Vietnam to a successful and well known comedian in Australia. The Happiest Refugee won multiple Australian book awards in 2011 and captured the heart of the nation.
When Anh was a small child, his family gambled everything in their desire to escape the crippling poverty in Vietnam on a barely seaworthy boat crowded with 40 others. Twice attacked by pirates and on the ...more
With humour, warmth and spirit, Anh Do shares his journey from a refugee boat fleeing Vietnam to a successful and well known comedian in Australia. The Happiest Refugee won multiple Australian book awards in 2011 and captured the heart of the nation.
When Anh was a small child, his family gambled everything in their desire to escape the crippling poverty in Vietnam on a barely seaworthy boat crowded with 40 others. Twice attacked by pirates and on the ...more
I absolutely adored this book! The whole time I was reading it, I felt happy. Even when something bad went wrong, it always, ALWAYS worked out for the best! I love the relationship Anh has with his brother and sister, and especially with his mother. His mother sounds like an absolutely amazing woman and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her experiences.
I really enjoyed the stories that Anh provided about his parents in the opening part of the book. How they met, and eventually married, and how ...more
I really enjoyed the stories that Anh provided about his parents in the opening part of the book. How they met, and eventually married, and how ...more
Are you struggling with the Winter Blues?
Are you looking for a book to warm your heart and give you a giggle.
Maybe I'm just not funny, but stand-up comedians are not my jam. However, I have always found Ahn Do to be delightfully engaging, especially recently in Brush with Fame on the ABC.
This is a memoir telling a snap shot of the life of a refugee to Australia, the hope of first-generation Australians, how food, sport and humour can bridge a million gaps.
After reading the harrowing Boy Soldier ...more
Are you looking for a book to warm your heart and give you a giggle.
Maybe I'm just not funny, but stand-up comedians are not my jam. However, I have always found Ahn Do to be delightfully engaging, especially recently in Brush with Fame on the ABC.
This is a memoir telling a snap shot of the life of a refugee to Australia, the hope of first-generation Australians, how food, sport and humour can bridge a million gaps.
After reading the harrowing Boy Soldier ...more
A really heartwarming and inspiring tale. It's amazing what Anh and the other members of his family accomplished, and it looks like a lot of that was due to his mother, evidently a strong and amazing woman.
...more
Loved it. Felt inspired and stuff.
Delightful!
Mar 24, 2011
Midnightrider
marked it as to-read
Jun 30, 2011
Sally
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Dec 17, 2011
Tracy Kavanagh
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Feb 20, 2012
Nicole Naunton
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Oct 07, 2012
Angel
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Sep 05, 2013
Janine
marked it as to-read
Feb 12, 2017
Chris
marked it as unfinished-tower-of-babel
Sep 12, 2020
Alison Connell
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Feb 16, 2021
Séamaisiona
marked it as to-read
Jul 25, 2021
Lucinda
marked it as to-read
