Image retrieved from Goodreads, 2017.
The Little Refugee by 
Small Bamboo by 
Secrets of the Red Lantern : stories and Vietnamese recipes from the heart. by 
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 the country they had dreamed about.
Life in Australia was hard, an endless succession of back-breaking 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 thirteen -- 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 read it.
Plot Summary: The Happiest Refugee: A Memoir. (2016). In Goodreads Inc
Rating: G Production Year: 2012 Duration: 18:22
Description: Anh Do talks about the highs and lows of his journey from refugee to one of Australia's best-loved and most successful comedians.
Rating: PG Production Year: 2014 Duration: 25:58
Description: Peter Thompson talks to Anh Do about the highs and lows of his journey from refugee to one of Australia's best-loved and most successful comedians.
Production Year: 2011 Duration: 7:00
Description: Aussie comedian Anh Do chats about arriving in Australia as a Vietnamese refugee, being attacked by pirates and how the experience inspired him to write a book.
