The Lucky Ones: Stories of Australian refugee journeys

by Melinda Ham

The Lucky Ones is a moving and meticulously researched book of refugee stories from award-winning journalist and former foreign correspondent Melinda Ham.Though they are from different generations, countries and cultures, the families in this book all have one thing in they have escaped persecution in their homelands to find safety in Australia. Spanning 70 years, and tracking journeys from Iraq, Afghanistan, Poland, Tibet, Vietnam and Zaire, The Lucky Ones offers a window into the complex history of Australian refugee experiences.More than 35 million refugees around the world are currently waiting to be resettled. In their own words, the people in this book are some of the 'lucky ones' who survived terror, detention, beatings and torture to reach a country that offered them a new beginning.

Genres: Australia

286 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[Sarah Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good content. Irritating format.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brutal look at the history and stories of those who have had to flee their homes and become refugees. At times it's hard to fathom the things the individuals have had to go through, but it is thoroughly eye-opening.

I enjoyed the way the book followed the different individual's journeys. Rather than looking at each family separately, the author weaves them throughout the book, exploring their lives beforehand and their eventual journey towards Australia.

Perhaps because of the number of different families the book followed, I almost wanted to slow down for the different people and hear more of their stories. I wanted to find out more about their life in Australia and a little bit more of their journeys. The author does do that, but is limited in how much she can write given the variety of people she's following.

I walked away thinking that Australia really is the lucky country. If nothing else, this books gives perspective on just what a privilege it is to be born here.

[Dellaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful, eye-opening and moving book, providing a glimpse into the resilience, faith and sacrifice exhibited by those who are forced to flee their homelands. A necessary contribution towards the narrative around how refugees enrich the cultural fabric of our society.

[Kate Adderley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emotional content but an irritating format. Jumps between each story every few pages. I found it hard to keep up.

[Katie Snell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of great promise and some very interesting stories but just did not deliver. W

[Ellen Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Struggled with the format switching between stories

[Gaynor]

It was difficult to find this book on Goodreads. It is incorrectly entered as "Lucky ones", whereas the real title is "The Lucky ones". Even this small difference makes it difficult to search.

[Naomi Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and heartbreaking all in one. To read the details of the harrowing circumstances these people have been through, truly eye opening to my own privilege and luck to be born in Australia.