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Lucky Ticket

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( 185 ratings, 44 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Lucky Ticket by Joey Bui is a collection of short stories that delve into the lives of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Australian characters, exploring themes of identity, displacement, and cultural connection. Each tale captures the essence of human experience, from the struggles of adapting to new environments to maintaining ties with one's heritage. The narratives are poignant and reflective, offering a window into diverse, everyday lives enriched by humour and empathy.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3400
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$3700
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to poignant and evocative stories that explore the rich tapestry of the Vietnamese diaspora through varied characters and their complex experiences. It's perfect for those who appreciate tales that delve into themes of identity, belonging, and resilience with vivid storytelling.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A debut collection of stories announcing an intelligent, vibrant and highly original Australian-Vietnamese voice in contemporary literature.

A debut collection of stories announcing an intelligent, vibrant and highly original Australian-Vietnamese voice in contemporary literature.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A debut collection of stories announcing an intelligent, vibrant, and highly original Australian-Vietnamese voice in contemporary literature.

Fortunes rise and fall. One day you have a lucky ticket and get a dinner so good, you eat so much that you think you'll never need to eat again. You get busy making plans, and then the hunger comes looking for you. I'm just an old man selling lucky tickets, but my theory is that we all get our turn in the end. I've had my turn at fortune. It was some years ago, maybe 2002, because I remember that was when S i G n was less red and bright with fried chicken signs everywhere.

A highly original collection of stories by a talented young writer. In the comic-tragic eponymous story, Lucky Ticket, the narrator, a genial, disabled old man, whose spirit is far from crushed, sells lottery tickets on a street corner in bustling Saigon. In 'Mekong Love', two young people in a restrictive society try to find a way to consummate their relationship in an extraordinary tropical landscape.

In 'Abu Dhabi Gently', a story of dreams and disappointment, of camaraderie and disillusionment, a migrant worker leaves Vietnam to earn money in the UAE in order to be able to marry his fiancée. 'White Washed' depicts a strained friendship between two students in Melbourne, the Vietnamese narrator and a white girl. What does it mean to be Asian? What does it mean to be white? And what makes up identity?

In Lucky Ticket, Joey Bui introduces a diverse range of characters, all with distinctive voices, and makes us think differently about identity, mixed-race relationships, difficulties between family generations, war, and dislocation.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Lucky Ticket by Joey Bui has garnered praise for its emotional depth and diverse storytelling. Reviewers commend its blend of humour and heartache, with a spotlight on the intricacies of race, identity, and the human condition. The collection is noted for its vivid characters and thought-provoking narratives, offering a profound exploration of the migrant experience and the complexities of everyday life.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922268020

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 September 2019

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 154.0mm

Height: 233.0mm

Weight: 344g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Joey Bui is a Vietnamese-Australian writer. She graduated from New York University Abu Dhabi, where she completed her first collection of short stories, Lucky Ticket, based on interviews with Vietnamese refugees around the world. Joey has been published in journals and magazines in the US and Australia. She is currently studying at Harvard Law School.

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