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Unpolished Gem
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Download or read book Unpolished Gem written by Alice Pung and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009-01-27 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Poignant, provocative, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, Pung’s rollicking tale of two worlds is not to be missed.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) After Alice Pung’s family fled to Australia from the killing fields of Cambodia, her father chose Alice as her name because he thought their new country was a Wonderland. In this lyrical, bittersweet debut memoir—already an award-winning bestseller when it was published in Australia—Alice grows up straddling two worlds, East and West, her insular family and the Australia outside. With wisdom beyond her years and a keen eye for comedy in everyday life, she writes of the trials of assimilation and cultural misunderstanding, and of the tender but fraught relationships between three generations of women trying to live the Australian dream without losing themselves. Unpolished Gem is a moving, vivid journey about identity and the ultimate search for acceptance and healing, delivered by a writer possessed of rare empathy, penetrating insight, and undeniable narrative gifts.
Book Synopsis Growing Up Asian in Australia by : Alice Pung
Download or read book Growing Up Asian in Australia written by Alice Pung and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2015-01-29 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Asian - Australians have often been written about by outsiders, as outsiders. In this collection, compiled by award - winning author Alice Pung, they tell their own stories with verve, courage and a large dose of humour. These are not predictable tales of food, festivals and traditional dress. The food is here in all its steaming glory - but listen more closely to the dinner - table chatter and you might be surprised by what you hear. Here are tales of leaving home, falling in love, coming out and finding one's feet. A young Cindy Pan vows to win every single category of Nobel Prize. Tony Ayres blows a kiss to a skinhead and lives to tell the tale. Benjamin Law has a close encounter with some angry Australian fauna, and Kylie Kwong makes a moving pilgrimage to her great - grandfather's Chinese village. Here are well - known authors and exciting new voices, spanning several generations and drawn from all over Australia. In sharing their stories, they show us what it is really like to grow up Asian, and Australian. Contributors include: Shaun Tan, Jason Yat - Sen Li, John So, Annette Shun Wah, Quan Yeomans, Jenny Kee, Anh Do, Khoa Do, Caroline Tran and many more.
Download or read book Laurinda written by Alice Pung and published by Black Incorporated. This book was released on 2014 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates - and some of their teachers. Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, Lucy finds herself in a battle for her identity and integrity.
Download or read book One Hundred Days written by Alice Pung and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From one of Australia’s most celebrated authors comes a powerful mother-daughter drama that explores the fault lines between love and control, pairing the claustrophobic intensity of Room and My Year of Rest and Relaxation with the youthful angst of Freshwater. Sixteen and pregnant, Karuna finds herself trapped in her mother’s Melbourne public housing apartment for one hundred days awaiting the birth of her child—and her mother’s next move in a shocking power struggle over who will raise the baby. To fill the seemingly endless hours of her imprisonment, she writes to her unborn child, determined that her baby will know the truth, no matter what happens. Karuna’s pregnancy is the result of a heady act of independence, lust, and defiance that happened in a moment of freedom from her overprotective mother. In reaction to her daughter’s recklessness, Karuna’s mother locks her inside their apartment to her to make sure she can’t get into any more trouble. While postpartum confinement is a tradition in many cultures, is Karuna’s an act of love—or emotional abuse? As the birth approaches, Karuna and her mother repeatedly trip the fault lines between love and control. And somehow, despite their battles, Karuna recognizes her mother’s love in even the strangest of behaviors. At times tense and unnerving, One Hundred Days illuminates the pain, confusion, and thrill of growing up and the overwhelming desire of adults to protect the children they
Download or read book Close to Home written by Alice Pung and published by Black Inc.. This book was released on 2018-10-29 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A brilliant collection from one of Australia's leading writers Close to Home brings together Alice Pung’s most loved writing, on topics such as migration, family, art, belonging and identity. Warm, funny, moving and unfailingly honest, this is Alice at her best – an irresistible pleasure for fans and new readers alike. In 2006, Alice Pung published Unpolished Gem, her award-winning memoir of growing up Chinese-Australian in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Since then, she has written on everything from the role of grandparents to the corrosive effects of racism; from the importance of literature to the legacy of her parents’ migration from Cambodia as asylum seekers. In all of this, a central idea is home: how the places we live and the connections we form shape who we become, and what homecoming can mean to those who build their lives in Australia. ‘Most people have an idea of home as a place of comfort and safety. But it is more than that. Your home is a place where your suffering can take shelter.’ —Alice Pung ‘A beautiful book brimming with rich thoughts and intimate details ... Pung’s writing celebrates who we are, where we’ve come from and the shape of things to come. ★★★★★.’ —The AU Review ‘A warm, wide-ranging selection ... Pung’s writing is crisp and colourful.’ —The Age ‘Mixes vivid personal stories with a sharply nuanced examination of Australia’s knotty, turbulent race history.’ —The Weekend Australian ‘Alice Pung is a gem. Her voice is the real thing.’ —Amy Tan
Download or read book On John Marsden written by Alice Pung and published by Black Inc.. This book was released on 2017-10-02 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I keep coming back to John Marsden. What makes him so fascinating to me is that he approaches writing for young adults with a whole philosophy of what it means to be a teenager – a philosophy that’s embedded in the two schools he runs, but also in his early experiences with mental illness and hospitalisation. His perspective raises interesting questions about YA fiction – how much darkness is allowed, before you are considered a “bad influence”? An original and moving look by award-winning writer Alice Pung at one of her biggest influences – the much-loved and hugely successful writer John Marsden. In the Writers on Writers series, leading authors reflect on an Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. Provocative and crisp, these books start a fresh conversation between past and present, shed new light on the craft of writing, and introduce some intriguing and talented authors and their work. Published by Black Inc. in association with the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria. Alice Pung is an award-winning writer, editor, teacher and lawyer based in Melbourne. She is the bestselling author of Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter and the editor of the anthologies Growing Up Asian in Australia and My First Lesson. Her first novel, Laurinda, won the Ethel Turner Prize at the 2016 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.
Download or read book Lucy and Linh written by Alice Pung and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From an author Amy Tan calls “a gem,” this is a witty, highly acclaimed novel that’s “part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies” (The Bulletin, Starred review) about navigating life in private school while remaining true to yourself. Lucy is a bit of a pushover, but she’s ambitious and smart, and she has just received the opportunity of a lifetime: a scholarship to a prestigious school, and a ticket out of her broken-down suburb. Though she’s worried she will stick out like badly cut bangs among the razor-straight students, she is soon welcomed into the Cabinet, the supremely popular trio who wield influence over classmates and teachers alike. Linh is blunt, strong-willed, and fearless—everything Lucy once loved about herself. She is also Lucy’s last solid link to her life before private school, but she is growing tired of being eclipsed by the glamour of the Cabinet. As Lucy floats further away from the world she once knew, her connection to Linh—and to her old life—threatens to snap. Sharp and honest, Alice Pung’s novel examines what it means to grow into the person you want to be without leaving yourself behind. An NPR Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection A Texas Tayhas Reading List Selection A Bank Street College of Education and Children’s Book Committee Best Children’s Books of the Year with Distinguished Outstanding Merit "A bracing, enthralling gut-punch and an essential read for teens, teachers, and parents alike." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred review "This daring work with an authentic protagonist teaches important lessons about being yourself while navigating through life."—School Library Journal, Starred review "Lucy’s struggle to find her place and sense of self will have a wide appeal for teen readers and is a welcome addition to the prep-school canon."—Booklist, Starred review "Lyrical, enchanting prose from a narrator with perception so acute she cannot help but share it immerses readers into the very heart of every scene. This is highly recommended for classrooms and libraries [and] a superb choice for book discussion groups and world young adult literature survey courses."--VOYA, Starred review "Part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies, and part Special Topics in Calamity Physics, this well-observed and unsentimental novel taps into what is primal within privileged adolescent girls."—The Bulletin, Starred review "Lucy’s narration pulls readers alongside her uncertain navigation of two worlds, and we can’t help but cheer in solidarity as Lucy recognizes assimilation masquerading as inclusion, refuses to back down, and instead embraces who she is."—Horn Book Magazine "In a novel filled with strong visual images, Pung draws a sharp contrast between authenticity and deception, integrity and manipulation. Against the vividly painted backdrops of two very different communities, she traces Lucy’s struggle to form a new identity without compromising the values she holds closest to her heart."—Publishers Weekly
Book Synopsis The Shortest History of China: From the Ancient Dynasties to a Modern Superpower - A Retelling for Our Times (Shortest History) by : Linda Jaivin
Download or read book The Shortest History of China: From the Ancient Dynasties to a Modern Superpower - A Retelling for Our Times (Shortest History) written by Linda Jaivin and published by The Experiment, LLC. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Journey across epic China—through millennia of early innovation to modern dominance. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. As we enter the “Asian century,” China demands our attention for being an economic powerhouse, a beacon of rapid modernization, and an assertive geopolitical player. To understand the nation behind the headlines, we must take in its vibrant, tumultuous past—a story of “larger-than-life characters, philosophical arguments and political intrigues, military conflicts and social upheavals, artistic invention and technological innovation.” The Shortest History of China charts a path from China’s tribal origins through its storied imperial era and up to the modern Communist Party under Xi Jinping—including the rarely told story of women in China and the specters of corruption and disunity that continue to haunt the People’s Republic today. A master storyteller and exacting historian, Linda Jaivin distills this vast history into a short, riveting account that today’s globally minded readers will find indispensable.
Book Synopsis ATAR Notes Text Guide: Unpolished Gem by :
Download or read book ATAR Notes Text Guide: Unpolished Gem written by and published by . This book was released on 2019-06 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Muddy People written by Sara El Sayed and published by Greystone Books Ltd. This book was released on 2022-06-07 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “By turns heartfelt, bitingly funny, and emotionally devastating, Muddy People is not your average coming-of-age tale. I loved this memoir of a young Egyptian-Australian girl growing up Muslim. It's a clear-eyed, fierce debut; every word rings true.”—Nadine Jolie Courtney, author of All-American Muslim Girl A quick, clever debut that is “like the best kind of cake: warm, sweet, a bit nutty—and made with so much love.”—Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem Sara is growing up in a family with a lot of rules. Her mother tells her she’s not allowed to wear a bikini, her father tells her she’s not allowed to drink alcohol, and her grandmother tells her to never trust a man with her money. After leaving Egypt when Sara was only six years old, her family slowly learns how to navigate the social dynamics of their new home. Sara feels out of place in her new school. Her father refuses to buy his coworkers a ginger beer, thinking it contains alcohol. Her mother refuses to wear a hijab, even if it would help them connect with other local Muslims. And Sara learns what it feels like to have a crush on a boy, that some classmates are better friends than others, and that her parents are loving, but flawed people who don't always know what's best for her, despite being her strongest defenders. For readers of Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy and Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart, this heartwarming book about family and identity introduces a compelling new voice, with a coming-of-age story that will speak to everyone who’s ever struggled to figure out where they belong.
Download or read book Amber written by Patty C. Rice and published by Geoscience Press. This book was released on 2002-03-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The best available reference on amber is now revised and updated. Dr. Rice's Amber presents a comprehensive reference for the general collector, carver, or the scientist. She begins with the history of amber, which moves from the Stone Age through archaeological finds, ancient writings and medieval chronicles, and then on to explore the scientific studies of amber and how it attained commercial value. Amber provides information on the cultural changes relating to amber jewelry plus the mystical powers attributed to the gem. It is updated to include information on mining in the Baltic areas as well as new information on DNA Coding.
Download or read book Detour written by Noah William Isenberg and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2008-08-06 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In classic noir style, Detour features mysterious deaths, changes of identity, an unforgettable femme fatale called Vera (Ann Savage), and, in Roberts, a wretched, masochistic antihero."
Download or read book In Paris written by Jeanne Damas and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-09-04 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If the Internet could create its version of the perfect girl, Jeanne Damas would probably be her. . . . She's nailed that French girl je ne sais quoi." --Vogue For fans of Emily in Paris: A window on the world's most stylish city, with more than 100 full-color photos and profiles of 20 diverse and inspiring Parisian women, by "the coolest, most beautiful French girl in France" (GQ) and a former editor in chief of French Elle "We've always been crazy in love with this city. . . . We love its arrogance, its clumsiness, its simplicity. And especially the women who live here." Two quintessential Parisian women--model and fashion designer Jeanne Damas and journalist Lauren Bastide--shine a spotlight on twenty real-life women of Paris, dispelling the myth that there's only one type of Parisian woman and introducing us to the city that real Parisiennes live in. They're booksellers, singers, writers, activists, and antique dealers; they live in small studios, spacious apartments, or houseboats; their ages range from fourteen to seventy . . . and all embody the effortless chic and insouciant spirit of the legendary Parisian woman. In Paris takes us into these women's lives, telling us about their careers, families, favorite nightlife spots, shopping habits, and beloved books and films. Full-color photos taken by Jeanne herself accompany charming lists of advice on the French art de vivre--from the best places to people-watch with a glass of wine after work to the perfect Parisian playlist to the ten things that a French woman would never, ever post on Instagram. Witty, elegant, and modern, In Paris is an ode to Paris through the eyes of its eternally cool women--for everyone who has ever dreamed of one day living in Paris.
Download or read book Good Muslim Boy written by Osamah Sami and published by Hardie Grant Books. This book was released on 2015-05-01 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Good Muslim Boy tells the story of Osamah Sami’s journey from Iran during the Iraq war to the suburbs of Australia and his quest to fit into his new life whilst trying to stay a good Muslim boy. In turns comic and tragic, Osamah’s story explores the universal truths of growing up, falling in love, marriage, family and following one's dream; whilst also telling the immigrant’s story of straddling two cultures and the difficult expectations of family and faith versus fitting in. Osamah begins by recounting his youth under Islamic rule in Iran: the mischievous antics that he and his friends would get up to, and the lengths they would go to for a little contact with girls – resulting in hilarious reprimands from the ‘Piety Police’. But the inescapable impacts of war are never far away and Osmah details the trauma his family suffered from the violence in Iran and their desperation to reach safer shores in Australia. Cut to Australia years later where Osamah is pretending to attend university after lying to his family about his final high school results, afraid of the shame it will it cause to learn that their son didn’t make it into medical school. While embroiled in his lie, Osamah meets the girl of his dreams – but as neither of their parents would approve of their relationship, they must carry out their affair in secret... What ensues must be read to be believed, an arranged marriage is escaped; true love is embraced; and an acting career evolves, as Osamah goes on the road staging a show entitled ‘Saddam The Musical’. With a distinct authorial voice, Osamah Sami’s A Good Muslim Boy unfolds and enchants us; both funny and entertaining, we are enlightened, shocked, saddened, made to laugh, and ultimately uplifted in a tale that couldn’t come at a more prescient time.
Book Synopsis The Gifts of Reading by : Robert Macfarlane
Download or read book The Gifts of Reading written by Robert Macfarlane and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2017-06-01 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS - an essay on the joy of reading, for anyone who has ever loved a book Every book is a kind of gift to its reader, and the act of giving books is charged with a special emotional resonance. It is a meeting of three minds (the giver, the author, the recipient), an exchange of intellectual and psychological currency, that leaves each participant enriched. Here Robert Macfarlane recounts the story of a book he was given as a young man, and how he managed eventually to return the favour, though never repay the debt. From one of the most lyrical writers of our time comes a perfectly formed gem, a lyrical celebration of the transcendent power and humanity of the given book.
Book Synopsis Miss Ex-Yugoslavia by : Sofija Stefanovic
Download or read book Miss Ex-Yugoslavia written by Sofija Stefanovic and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “funny and tragic and beautiful in all the right places” (Jenny Lawson, #1 New York Times bestseller author of Furiously Happy) memoir about the immigrant experience and life as a perpetual fish-out-of-water, from the acclaimed Serbian-Australian storyteller. Sofija Stefanovic makes the first of many awkward entrances in 1982, when she is born in socialist Yugoslavia. The circumstances of her birth (a blackout, gasoline shortages, bickering parents) don’t exactly get her off to a running start. While around her, ethnic tensions are stoked by totalitarian leaders with violent agendas, Stefanovic’s early life is filled with Yugo rock, inadvisable crushes, and the quirky ups and downs of life in a socialist state. As the political situation grows more dire, the Stefanovics travel back and forth between faraway, peaceful Australia, where they can’t seem to fit in, and their turbulent homeland, which they can’t seem to shake. Meanwhile, Yugoslavia collapses into the bloodiest European conflict in recent history. Featuring warlords and beauty queens, tiger cubs and Baby-Sitters Clubs, Sofija Stefanovic’s memoir is a window to a complicated culture that she both cherishes and resents. Revealing war and immigration from the crucial viewpoint of women and children, Stefanovic chronicles her own coming-of-age, both as a woman and as an artist. Refreshingly candid, poignant, and illuminating, “Stefanovic’s story is as unique and wacky as it is important” (Esquire).
Book Synopsis The Scent of Eucalyptus by : Barbara Hanrahan
Download or read book The Scent of Eucalyptus written by Barbara Hanrahan and published by Univ. of Queensland Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reprint of the highly acclaimed author's first novel, originally published in 1973. Fact and fantasy are combined to produce a poignant portrayal of growing up in Adelaide suburbia. The author wrote 13 novels, including TMichael and Me and the Sun', published posthumously in 1992.
