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Raw, gritty, compassionate, surprising and darkly funny - Australian legend Jimmy Barnes' unforgettable childhood memoir. A household name, an Australian rock icon, the elder statesman of OzPubRock - there isn't an accolade or cliché that doesn't apply to Jimmy Barnes. But long before Cold Chisel and Barnesy, long before the tall tales of success and excess, there was the true story of James Dixon Swan - a working class boy whose family made the journey from Scotland to Australia in search of a better life.
The true story of Deng Adut - Sudanese child soldier, refugee, man of hope. Movingly narrated by Blessing Mokgohloa. Deng Adut's family were farmers in South Sudan when a brutal civil war altered his life forever. At six years old, his mother was told she had to give him up to fight. At the age most Australian children are starting school, Deng was conscripted into the Sudan People's Liberation Army.
This is the only money guide you'll ever need. That's a bold claim, given there are already thousands of finance books on the shelves. So what makes this one different? You'll get a step-by-step formula: open this account, then do this; call this person, and say this; invest money here and not there. All with a glass of wine in your hand.
A new story in an ancient landscape from Australia's favourite storyteller. In The Red Coast, Di Morrissey returns to the red earth of the Kimberley with a passionate story of resistance and resilience under its soaring blue skies. After the upheaval which separated Jacqui Bouchard from her beloved son, she has finally settled in Broome, a magical remote town on the northwest coast of Australia.
Rosie Batty knows pain no woman should have to suffer. Her son was killed by his father in a violent incident in February 2014, a horrendous event that shocked not only the nation but the world. Greg Anderson murdered his 11-year-old son, Luke, and was then shot by police at the Tyabb cricket oval. Rosie had suffered years of family violence and had had intervention and custody orders in place in an effort to protect herself and her son. She believes the killing was Greg's final act of control over her.
A mother who invented her past, a father who was often absent, a son who wondered if this could really be his family...Richard Glover's favourite dinner-party game is called 'Who's Got the Weirdest Parents?' It's a game he always thinks he'll win. There was his mother, a deluded snob who made up large swathes of her past and who ran away with Richard's English teacher, a Tolkien devotee, nudist and stuffed toy collector.
Raw, gritty, compassionate, surprising and darkly funny - Australian legend Jimmy Barnes' unforgettable childhood memoir. A household name, an Australian rock icon, the elder statesman of OzPubRock - there isn't an accolade or cliché that doesn't apply to Jimmy Barnes. But long before Cold Chisel and Barnesy, long before the tall tales of success and excess, there was the true story of James Dixon Swan - a working class boy whose family made the journey from Scotland to Australia in search of a better life.
The true story of Deng Adut - Sudanese child soldier, refugee, man of hope. Movingly narrated by Blessing Mokgohloa. Deng Adut's family were farmers in South Sudan when a brutal civil war altered his life forever. At six years old, his mother was told she had to give him up to fight. At the age most Australian children are starting school, Deng was conscripted into the Sudan People's Liberation Army.
This is the only money guide you'll ever need. That's a bold claim, given there are already thousands of finance books on the shelves. So what makes this one different? You'll get a step-by-step formula: open this account, then do this; call this person, and say this; invest money here and not there. All with a glass of wine in your hand.
A new story in an ancient landscape from Australia's favourite storyteller. In The Red Coast, Di Morrissey returns to the red earth of the Kimberley with a passionate story of resistance and resilience under its soaring blue skies. After the upheaval which separated Jacqui Bouchard from her beloved son, she has finally settled in Broome, a magical remote town on the northwest coast of Australia.
Rosie Batty knows pain no woman should have to suffer. Her son was killed by his father in a violent incident in February 2014, a horrendous event that shocked not only the nation but the world. Greg Anderson murdered his 11-year-old son, Luke, and was then shot by police at the Tyabb cricket oval. Rosie had suffered years of family violence and had had intervention and custody orders in place in an effort to protect herself and her son. She believes the killing was Greg's final act of control over her.
A mother who invented her past, a father who was often absent, a son who wondered if this could really be his family...Richard Glover's favourite dinner-party game is called 'Who's Got the Weirdest Parents?' It's a game he always thinks he'll win. There was his mother, a deluded snob who made up large swathes of her past and who ran away with Richard's English teacher, a Tolkien devotee, nudist and stuffed toy collector.
Agatha is pregnant and works part time stocking shelves at a grocery store in a ritzy London suburb, counting down the days until her baby is due. As the hours of her shifts creep by in increasing discomfort, the one thing she looks forward to at work is catching a glimpse of Meghan, the effortlessly chic customer whose elegant lifestyle dazzles her. Meghan has it all: two perfect children, a handsome husband, a happy marriage, and a stylish group of friends, and she writes perfectly droll confessional posts on her popular parenting blog.
Before she was a trauma cleaner, Sandra Pankhurst was many things: husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, trophy wife... but as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. Now she believes her clients deserve no less. A man who bled quietly to death in his living room. Sarah Krasnostein has watched the extraordinary Sandra Pankhurst bring order and care to these, the living and the dead - and the book she has written is equally extraordinary.
Winner of the 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award. He hated the word retirement, but not as much as he hated the word village, as if ageing made you a peasant or a fool. Herein lives the village idiot. Professor Frederick Lothian, retired engineer, world expert on concrete and connoisseur of modernist design, has quarantined himself from life by moving to a retirement village.
Meshel Laurie has had a very varied career, but whether she's working the front desk at a brothel or anchoring drive-time radio, it's always had one common thread: she is a self-confessed workaholic. Thankfully, over the years she's learnt to temper her tendencies with a bit of Buddhist perspective - and you can too! Meshel shares her own experiences with wit and wisdom and explores how to navigate the modern workplace (and stay sane).
In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is - a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh. Down to earth and relatable, frank and unapologetic, Amy Schumer is one of us: She relies on her sister for advice, still hangs out with her high school pals, and continues to navigate the ever-changing boundaries in love, work, and life.
In 1962 Cindy drops out of college to impulsively marry an Australian grazier, moving from the glamorous world of Palm Springs, California, to an isolated sheep station on the sweeping plains of the Riverina in New South Wales. Cindy's new life at Kingsley Downs station is not what she'd imagined, as she is flung into a strange and challenging world. Natural disasters and the caprices of the wool industry shape her destiny and though she tries hard to fit in, she finds she is always the outsider.
The laugh-out-loud, reach-for-your-hanky story of one of Australia's best-loved comedians.
Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous pirates nor the imminent threat of death by hunger, disease or dehydration as they drifted for days - could quench their desire to make a better life in a country where freedom existed.
Life in Australia was hard, an endless succession of backbreaking work, crowded rooms, ruthless landlords and make-do everything. But there was a loving extended family and always friends and play and something to laugh about for Anh, his brother, Khoa, and their sister, Tram. Things got harder when their father left home when Anh was 13 - they felt his loss very deeply, and their mother struggled to support the family on her own.
His mother's sacrifice was an inspiration to Anh, and he worked hard during his teenage years to help her make ends meet, also managing to graduate high school and then university. Another inspiration was the comedian Anh met when he was about to sign on for a 60-hour-a-week corporate job. Anh asked how many hours he worked. 'Four', the answer came back, and that was it. He was going to be a comedian!
The Happiest Refugee tells the incredible, uplifting and inspiring life story of one of our favourite personalities. Tragedy, humour, heartache and unswerving determination - a big life with big dreams. Anh's story will move and amuse all who hear it.
What did you like most about The Happiest Refugee?
Anh's positivity throughout his life experience
What other book might you compare The Happiest Refugee to, and why?
none that I have read
What about Anh Do’s performance did you like?
everything! he tells the story so well
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
the whole story was very moving and emotional
Any additional comments?
This is by far one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to. Ahn does a great job narrating the story of his life. He truly is an inspiration
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I loved this book, an honest, interesting life story with hardship and kindness. Made better by Anh the author narrating himself.
I’d recommend to everyone who has a heart.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Laughed and cried through Anh’s amazing story. The positivity he communicates throughout is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, cover to cover!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Funny, sweet, heartwarming and honest. Such a lovely memoir from one of Australia’s favourites. Lovely read!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This is an amazing book. One minute I was crying, the next laughing. Beautifully written and told.
A must read!!!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Thank you Anh Do for sharing. A wonderful journey of your life. It was truly uplifting and inspirational. I will be a better person from this.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Ahn has a very easy to listen to voice. I cried and laughed throughout this book. The experience of his families trip to Australia was truly incredible. Ahn is a very gentle and loving sounding man. I also loved the stories of the blending of his families with his wife. A very special story and I would highly recommend it.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
amazing person ahn do. trully amazing read. big thanka for writting a wounderful book ahn
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Wow! Arn Do thank you for writing such a beautiful and inspiring true story. I loved listening to your narration and how your childhood and family upbringing shaped you to be the humble, kind, caring, loving creature you are today. Thank you for allowing people the insight into your life. A fabulous story.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Wow such an incredible story. Highly recommended! Even better hearing Anh read it out himself.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful