Libri GmbH My Mother's Daughter

Set in Saigon, Hobart and Sydney, My Mother's Daughter: The Grasshopper Kicks the Carriage, captures my fifty-year journey from a war-torn Vietnam to a courtroom of Australia. Central to My Mother's Daughter is the story of an Australian woman from a refugee background standing up for her workplace rights and a legal battle against an institutional Goliath while simultaneously undergoing treatment for breast cancer. In 1975, at age eleven, I witnessed the Fall of Saigon and its aftermath. At seventeen, I left Việt Nam in a wooden boat as a refugee. Five years later I was reunited with my parents in Tasmania, only to find out that my mother had already reached an advanced stage of motor neurone disease. With a desire to rise above my disadvantaged background and to help others in need, I believed that education had the power to transform my family's lives. Three decades later I had completed numerous university qualifications while working. While employed, I endured workplace bullying over many years, hoping human values would one day prevail. When the bullying became so intense that it affected my health, I asked the management to intervene, only to see the bully become unbridled. My memories of my mother gave me courage to stand up for my rights and to face the vicissitudes of life. Drawing on the power of education, hope, love and tenacity I overcame my fear and obstacles to pursue a court case against my employer. I managed my legal team while undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Against all odds, I persevered. Finally, the truth emerged and I won. The stories are told through numerous colourful photographs.