My Old Man and Me

Forty years after Thiet Huynh smuggled his family out of Vietnam, he faces a final challenge: to be cared for by those he once protected. With courage, ingenuity and humour, Thiet and the Huynhs set off on a journey to remake their lives together. PRAISE'Kim Huynh renders the father and son dynamic in its full complexity-the love, the grief, the guilt, and the devotion-and offers us something rare: a way to feel less alone, and to find grace when, ready or not, the roles between parent and grown child reverse' Tracey Lien, author of All That's Left Unsaid'Kim Huynh shoulders historical legacies along with the day-to-day weight of duty, while offering us lots of belly laughs. An epic Australian story of compassion, wisdom and mirth' Vivian Pham, author of The Coconut Children'Kim Huynh's My Dad and Me - is about him, his dad, and also about everyone who has ever been a carer. Of course every caring journey is different, but each also has parallels. It was moving to read such an honest account of his caring journey - the frustrations, the joys, the slow wisdoms - and to be reminded that the ties of family, no matter how stretched, never break' Dr Craig Cormick OAM, carer and author of Warra Warra Wai'I have to live,' Dad kept saying to me. And I had to help him.In 2021 a massive stroke left Thiet in need of constant care and upended life for him and his family, especially for his son Kim.As Kim washed, transported, medicated, monitored, and fumed at Thiet, he forged a profound connection with the man who risked everything to escape Vietnam and start a new life in Australia.Together they looked back at how Thiet tried to save Kim's life while also giving him up to a stranger. How he was responsible for providing electricity to both South Vietnam and South Canberra. How he taught Kim to run a bakery, ride a bike, and turn defeat into triumph.This powerful tribute from a son to his father will help you care for your loved ones, look after yourself and to know when to let go.