Lucky Ticket

by Joey Bui

Fortunes rise and fall. One day you have a lucky ticket and get a dinner so good and 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 Sài Gòn 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.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Australia

256 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2019

Reviews

[Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longlisted for the 2020 Stella Prize.

Lucky Ticket is a collection of short stories. A collection of short stories that all basically revolve around racism, refugees, and displacement. The stories populated by wonderfully developed, Vietnamese characters.

Most of the characters fled the victorious communist north in the Vietnam war. These lives, displaced, put on hold, removed from their home and placed into an environment completely different and alien to them.

This is not an easy book to read with all the stories involving the characters struggle against oppression and racism.

The opening story takes the name of the novel and is perhaps a metaphor for the book. These refugees are taking a chance, chancing their luck in a new country. In "Lucky Ticket" an old war veteran who has lost his legs to the war, Cambodian, not Vietnam, sells lucky tickets from a street corner. If he has a good day, and sells enough tickets he eats well that night, if not he dines on a pack of chewing gum. This sets a tone for the whole collection, these refugees work hard for next to nothing, but what choice did they have.

Not all the stories take place in Australia either. In “Abu Dhabi Gently” the main character finds himself working in the United Arab Emirates, leaving Vietnam where he simply cannot make the money needed to marry his fiancée, her father giving him permission to marry but insisting that he must do more than sell food in a market.

I particularly enjoyed “The Honourable Man”. A sad and poignant story about a father pondering what he is to do with his returning son. The son that he dragged to the door by the neck and threw out two years ago. The father does not want the son back and thinks that their problems stem from him. It is beautifully written. The son has returned at the behest of the mother. The father addresses him asking him to return, even though he does not want him to,

“’Come home, and it will be different.’ I feel scales hardening on my lips and press my teeth across them.”

This story is very short in length but so powerful.

Following it is probably the most racially charged story, “Whitewashed”. The main character is Vietnamese and his closest friend is white and female. They struggle not just against strangers, hardening their resolve against the stares, but the main characters own father,

“You think I am stupid, Vi? Why don’t you let me speak to your friend? You think I can’t speak English? You are corrupted in the head. The druggie kid has corrupted you. Who do you think is on your side? The white people?”

Joey Bui is a Vietnamese-Australian author and she graduated from New York University Abu Dhabi. it is clear she is writing to her strengths, but apart from this she is a gifted, talented writer, and her writing is first class. This does not feel like a debut collection of short stories.

Bui manages to pack so much into each of the stories. The relationships and lives of the characters in each story are similar and yet refreshingly unique as well. While the plight of the refugee is the focus in most of the stories, Bui approaches the refugee experience from many different angles and each story does have a strong personal “real” feel.

A very enjoyable read with none of the stories letting the collection down. 4 Stars.

I know I always say there is a wonderful interview here, but this interview from LiminalMag really is special and a must read if you enjoyed the book - https://www.collinsbookblog.com/post/...

[Bram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to blurb this extraordinary debut and, while I could go on for hours about it, I'll simply add that you have to read it. It's bloody great (apparently "bloody great" is frowned upon as wording for a cover quote).

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Bui has an identifiable style, this is a pleasingly eclectic collection of stories. Some, like the eponymous story of a Vietnamese veteran, turned street peddler, work as character studies exploring the nuances of humanity, while others, such as the excellent Mekong Love, are plot-driven, telling a touching and complete story.
Not everything in the volume works, of course, but in addition to the two discussed above, the outstanding Abu Dhabi Gently is easily worth buying the volume for.
I found the longer stories, I realise writing this, more memorable and engrossing than some of the vignettes. The pacing and story development is spot on. I would very much like to see what Bui does with a long-form novel, given more space to explore. Bui works hard - maybe sometimes too hard - to make each phrase distinctive, and there are some great phrases, especially in evoking the landscapes.

[Michael Livingston · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sharp and entertaining collection of short stories - not all of them worked for me, but this is an encouraging debut.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joey Bui's writing is beautiful. It doesn't pander or stoop down to the reader, but rather gives you just enough to hold on to, so that glimpsing the characters' worlds becomes a rare, enormous privilege. Her characters are those with historically lesser-heard voices, and they occupy highly localised and (for many readers) physically inaccessible worlds; however, their stories are told completely without hierarchy, pity or judgement, which is a gift for reader and character alike.

The after-effect this collection had on me was that it rendered everyone I met in terms of the story that Joey Bui might write about them. I can't think of a better way to go about the world.

[Urooza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joey Bui is a master storyteller and someone who can tap into the deepest of emotions no matter the age, sex or life lived by character and reader. She has an inexplicable way of igniting empathy, and I have audibly laughed, cried and gasped with the characters in each story in Lucky Ticket. Her writing is intricately thoughtful, yet effortless to devour completely.

[Text Publishing]

‘Joey Bui is a masterful storyteller…Each tale is delightfully rich with detail and yet reverberates with a broader truth….These unforgettable characters and stories will keep me company for a gloriously long time.’
Melanie Cheng

‘Filled with distinctive characters and full of surprises, these stories are enlightening and unforgettable.’
Alice Pung

'An exciting, profound and often funny dive into the minor cataclysms of everyday life. Joey Bui is a marvel.’
Bram Presser

‘Wry yet affecting…the scatological nature of the stories and the ways in which they delve into the indignity of poverty call to mind Jenny Zhang, while the astute racial, gender and class commentary would appeal to readers of Julie Koh, Melanie Cheng and Rosanna Gonsalves.’
Books+Publishing

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this short stories certainly in not afraid of giving voices to a wide range of characters and locations. They are either old, young, female, male. They are in or from Vietnam, Australia, Nepal, Zanzibar, UAE, Argentina. The common theme are people who find themselves far from their historical home either by choice, force, economic need or being on the losing side of a war. The stories featuring Vietnamese are the most powerful and probably more relevant to the author.
It's a book where the battles that many people face on a day by day basis makes me amazed by their resilience. A worthy book for today's readers.

[Tundra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed the conversational style of writing in these stories that invite the reader into the innermost thoughts of characters experiencing isolation, grief and confusion associated with displacement. The ‘refugee experience’ is not one thing and it manifests in many ways. This book glimpses characters that are struggling with regret and hope using small domestic vignettes. I think the stories set in Vietnam were the strongest but together they construct a universal picture.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Read this collection of short stories as part of reading The 2020 Stella Prize long-list.
My favourite of the 2 short story collections I've read so far on the list. Most of the protagonists in these stories are Vietnamese but it is a diverse collection with stories from character set in different countries and continents, only Europe is left out.
I enjoy reading collections that have a different cultural feel and that have a nod to inter-generational hardship, but like most short story collections not all of these hit the mark for me and the loose thread in my favourite story, Mekong Love, detracted from it overall.
Worth a read if you are looking for something with a multicultural flavour.

[Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great collection of stories. Joey Bui has a way with words—her writing is incredibly atmospheric, you can almost feel the different cities and towns around you. I think my personal favourite was 'Before the Lights Go Out'. I'm not sure why but there was just something about it that I felt connected to.

I have a feeling Bui is going to be a writer to watch.

[Nhung Vo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt very nostalgic reading this book. Look forward to rereading it and sharing it with my friends. Books written by Asian Australians are rare. Books written in English with Vietnamese contexts and accurate references to Vietnamese culture is also rare. So I am very pleased. There are also other short stories based in other areas of the world including Dubai.

[Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

A phenomenonal series of short stories by a young Aussie talent who captured an array of voices for the migrant diaspora.
Some stand out stories for me were (many with Vietnamese characters):
- Lucky Ticket
- Black Beans and Wine
- Abu Dhabi Gently
- Whitewashed
- A Scholar's Hands

[Ada L · Rating 4 out of 5]

books of stories are great but also so start and stop for me. i really enjoyed the perspectives on this book but found myself stuck on certain ones more than others... there's several CW/TWs here so be aware as a reader

[Cathy Uyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories by Joey Bui pries open the ordinary yet equally remarkable lives of people from all over the globe. The characters of ‘Lucky Ticket’ experience many highs and lows that evoke a sense of affinity within the reader. Though their story closes within the chapter, the often inhibited voices of people from Saigon, Abu Dhabi and more, endure for long after.

I was very captivated by Joey Bui’s writing and found it difficult to put down this book. Even as my bus stop approached, I could not stop my eyes from reading on from fear that the characters’ lives would continue without me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to everyone!

[Sonia Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky Ticket is the debut short story collection of Joey Bui, runner-up in Overland’s 2017 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize for ‘Hot Days’, which features in this collection. ‘Lucky Ticket’, the eponymous story, centres on a double-amputee Vietnamese war veteran and sets the tone for the collection—wry yet affecting, it assumes a certain level of knowledge from its readers with multi-layered references to the distinct political and historical backdrop of Sài Gòn.

Read the rest of my review on Books+Publishing here: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like reading books from different cultures and people with different cultural heritages, and this was a fair group of stories, not sure they will stay with me, but a decent read all the same.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

''People care too much about what's on the outside, that's the problem with most people,' I'd tell Hiéu.
'We are the outside, Kiêt! We're always outside! So why don't they care about us!' he'd reply. I'm saying it without the accent so you can understand. He was funny. I would be jealous if I wasn't his only friend in the world.'

This collection of short stories is so good. Each story paints character and place in a vivid way that I immediately connected with. Her writing is both smooth and hypnotic, I fell easily into the beat of each story. Joey Bui is a story wizard.

Her stories involve a bilateral amputee ex Công Hòa soldier who manages to travel the streets of Sài Gòn rejoicing in moments of good fortune, an Indian girl navigating her space in America, newly weds transitioning into their prearranged marriage along the Mekong River, reflections on a missing friend in Buenos Aires, a young man leaving Zanzibar to make money for his family, in Abu Dhabi, a Nepalese boy gains recognition for a photo he has taken, a Vietnamese girl enjoys a new friendship, a Vietnamese guy struggles to find his potential in the wide, open spaces of Australia and many more.

These are stories of adversity and change, hope for a better life, and how each person reacts differently to these circumstances. They also express the racism that individuals experience in white colonised countries, like Australia and America, that can cause them to marginalise their individual sense of self.

'All of a sudden my life changed without me even trying. It was a kind of good fortune. On the first night, I drew the curtain shut and everything was dark and hushed. There was something about being kept inside like that, pretending there was a great space between by body and the world outside. It felt precious.'

'Then there were the soursops, papayas, mangoes, dragonfruits and jackfruits, which grew so quickly that sons and daughters had to cut them down daily, lest the rotting fruit attract flies.
The fruit here was sweeter and more pungent than fruit found anywhere else in Vietnam, and the people who ate had insatiable appetites. Perhaps the miraculous fertility of the land, the richness of its tastes, its beauty, led them to trust nature and surrender themselves to it. Passions were indulged, because such things were fickle.'

'When I return to the living room, my son seems graver than before. He looks like me in so many ways, and carries some of the same terrible burden. For a father's lifetime eating salt, a son's lifetime thirsting water.'

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

"...how he panicked sometimes with the conviction that there was no one else in the world. How sometimes he wanted to wake his aunt or uncle, even though he knew they didn't care, just to hear a human voice. At night he dreaded the coming of the next day, dreaded waking up in the morning. And Australia in winter was so cold, especially in the mornings, when he was overcome by the realisation that there was nothing he wanted here, nothing at all. Perhaps they should never have left Vietnam."

Growing up in Melbourne myself, this book feels close to home. Some of the stories feels very familiar. I love books which talks about the hardship one has to endure that is associated with migrating to an unknown territory. Reading this book in the midst of the lorry deaths in the UK really puts things into perspective - the extreme length that people are willing to go through, the sacrifices that they are willing to make, not simply for themselves but also their family. Overall, I love the themes across the book but at numerous times, I was confused with all the many characters and maybe because it's a collection of short stories, did not have the time needed to grow attached to the characters.

[Krystelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this book was beautiful. Every single one of these stories was masterfully crafted and so perfect that I can’t even begin to explain how well done they were. As soon as I got into the title story, I just knew that this was the kind of short story compendium you write home about. The characters are well crafted and flawed, which isn’t something you can say about many books. The way that this book tackles issues like racism and the aftershocks of the Vietnam war is incredible. My favourite is probably ‘White Washed’ where you see just how horrid people can be in relationships where they wilfully go ahead and make ignorant comments and engage constantly in microaggressions (trying not to spoil too much here!) and how hard that can be. My single complaint is that they didn’t always end with resolutions (but I can understand it as an artistic choice). Such a good collection and an extraordinary debut.

[Julia Tulloh Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this collection of short stories about displacement, family, what it means to carve out space for your life - and permeating many of the stories are the effects of the suffering of the war in Vietnam, and experiences of immigration. Joey Bui is Vietnamese-Australian, and many of the stories focused on Vietnamese characters (either in Vietnam, or after having immigrated elsewhere). I found her writing about place in these stories really strong - especially in ‘Mekong Love’, which strikingly evokes a community along that river. Another story that stood out was ‘Whitewashed,’ which explored the lure/promises of white culture for a Vietnamese teenager. While some stories worked for me more than others, I really enjoyed the style & tone of Bui’s prose and would absolutely pick up what she writes next.

[Jennifer Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to work on finishing this book. Or rather this collection of stories from people who lived through the experience of the war in Vietnam, who either stayed and navigated the new world or left for Australia and encountered the unforgiving racism of minority existence. But I did find it hard to read the accounts, with what Dupak Unnikrishnan describes as ' The ways in which ( the stories) delve into the indignity of poverty'
However finish I did, and I highly recommend the book, for the quality of the writing and the insight into the world that existed in my country. I imagine similar issues arise in all places where people are dispossessed and culturally dislocated and Joey Bui has done a great job in bringing these stories to us.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Bui’s book made me think about all the people I sit next to in the subway every morning. What are the stories of the people sitting next to me right now? Where do they come from? Although Bui’s characters come from all over the world, Lucky Ticket inspires the readers to stop and think about all of the untold stories of people we pass by on the streets. People whom we do not spend much time thinking about. People whom the media doesn’t focus on. People who are not asked to share their stories often. Through Lucky Ticket, Bui teaches us that these people are loving, resilient, hurt, sometimes spiteful, and most importantly, human.

[Taj Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joey Bui has this amazing talent for creating these intriguing worlds that the reader can dive into and explore. Not all of them are comfortable, but each one is far from forgettable. Each story leaves you with several questions and a real feeling of connection to characters whose stories are rarely told. Her ability to shift voice across continents and cultures is nothing short of brilliant. My two favorite stories were “Black Beans and Wine” and “Whitewashed”. Can’t wait to see what Bui does next!

[Natasha (jouljet) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories - several stand outs, some not as engaging. All with themes of displacement.

Mekong Love - oh, my heart! A beautiful love story.

Abu Dhabi Gently - A Zanzibari man travels to the UAE to obtain work, leaving behind his family, new wife and way of life. The struggles of being in a new place, so alone.

A Scholar's Hands - Vietnamese refugees in Australia, trying to find their place.

Beware, there is a disability slur, repeated, in one of these stories.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Add 1/2...what an exceptional debut novel. A master story teller she is. Insightful and intelligent short stories about ordinary folk. In ‘Scholar’s Hand “ He seemed to have left the destiny prepared for him, slipped out of it, and now there was nothing waiting for him at all.” Will be on the lookout for her next. Highly recommend this collection and to think she is so young .

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific collection of stories, some loosely linked. The main theme here is otherness, the experience of being a stranger in a new land so of course this resonated with me on many levels. The writing is sharp and Bui's use of language really draws you into each story. Whitewashed, Abu Dhabi Gently, A Scholar's Hands, Black Beans & Wine stand outs for me however all were very good.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m rarely a fan of short story collections- they never seem to develop characters enough for my liking and almost always end too abruptly- but I had to pick this up because they were largely about Vietnam and the immigrant experience; how could I not? Bui has potential as a writer but isn’t quite there yet. I look forward to seeing her work in a few years.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it. the characters lingered in my mind for a long time afterwards. It left me feeling sad and hollow, even though the stories weren't always depressing. really vivid portraits in such a short amount of time. The characters had such unique personalities and voices that I initially thought it was written by multiple people.

[Rosie Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection! My favourite stories were Lucky Ticket and Mekong Love. I think Bui is particularly good at ending her stories in ways that make you stop and think. Would love to read more of her stuff.