The happiest refugee/ Anh Do #oznzreads2011

Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. He and his family nearly lost their lives as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in a very creaky, overcrowded boat. Pirates, hunger, disease and thirst didn’t stop them from trying to get to Australia and a better life. Unfortunately, their new life in Australia was not always the dream they hoped it would be. With parents who worked every hour of the day and night to provide for the basics, Anh and his brother and sister lived a far from normal childhood, in sometimes less than ideal circumstances. The one thing that was always constant was the love of his close family and all the extended family that came in and out of their lives. Anh, his sister Tram and brother Khoa always managed to keep optimistic and find the good, even in the darkest of times. When his father left the family it hurt all of them very deeply. It also placed a large burden on his mother to support the family as a single parent. Her perseverance and ability to never give in was Anh’s inspiration to work hard to help the family out and to not lose sight of the dream of making a good life for himself and his family. He graduated from high school, went on to do a law degree and then gave it all up to pursue a career in comedy, all the time putting the happiness and survival of his family above all else. Through every stumbling block and heartbreak he had to endure Anh came out smiling and keeps true to his undying belief that anything is possible
The Happiest Refugee is a truly inspiring story of one of my favourite people. Even though the story is full of tragedy and heartache it is counterbalanced with a huge dose of optimism and determination. Anh never lost sight of what his father told him as a young boy, “There’s today, and there’s too late” and Anh never stops making everyday count for the better.
Chris

Lessons in letting go: confessions of a hoarder/Corinne Grant

This book was really easy to read and if you are a hoarder, it may help you to understand why you do it and give you the motivation to de-clutter.
Corinne Grant is a comedian so the book is quite funny at times. It is written in five parts:

Where it started
Where it became unsteady
Where it collapsed
Where it was rebuilt
When it was done

Corinne talks about funny, moving and memorable times from her past and present, as she has realisations as to why she has accumulated so much junk. It took her a year to work through and let go of her clutter, both emotionally and physically. An enjoyable and relatable read.
Cathy.

The ghost at the wedding by Shirley Walker

Three generations, two wars and one family… Shirley Walker’s beautifully written memoir of one Australian family’s experience of two world wars is at once tragic and life affirming.

Set in the cane fields of northern NSW’s Clarence River, Gallipoli, The Western Front and the Kokoda trail, The Ghost at the Wedding chronicles the loss and grief of Jessie Walker’s family as sons, brothers and husbands are lost or forever changed in battles beyond Australian shores. It portrays in poignant detail the lives of those at home who wait for news of their men and the dogged resilience they show as they cope as best they can with their fates.

The Ghost at the Wedding has been shortlisted for the 2010 Prime Ministers Literary Awards non-fiction category.

A window into a traumatic period in ordinary Australian’s lives, The Ghost at the Wedding is a must read for its beautiful language, historical insight and the strength of spirit of its characters.

Roxanne