This is an original take on a classic story - how a child of immigrants moves between two cultures. In place of piety and predictability, however, Unpolished Gem offers a vivid and ironic sense of both worlds. It combines the story of Pung's life growing up in suburban Footscray with the inherited stories of the women in her family - stories of madness, survival and heartbreak. Original and brave, this is a girl's own story that introduces an unforgettable voice and captures the experience of Asian immigrants to Australia.

Praise:

‘Alice Pung is a gem. Her voice is the real thing.’ —Amy Tan

‘There’s something striking on every page of Unpolished Gem.’ —Helen Garner

‘Unpolished Gem is virtuoso storytelling.’ —The Australian

‘A memoir so vivid that images from it linger behind your eyelids.’ —The Age

‘... offer(s) a rare bicultural vantage point on Australian multiculturalism’ —The Sydney Morning Herald

‘... intelligent and touching’ —The Herald Sun

‘Unpolished Gem is a delightful read – a funny, touching debut from a writer we’re sure to hear more from.’ —The Courier Mail

Awards:

Winner- Australian Newcomer of the Year in the 2007 Australian Book Industry Awards

Shortlisted - Australian Biography of the Year and Australian Book of the Year in the 2007 Australian Book Industry Awards

Shortlisted - 2007 NSW Premier's Literary Awards

Shortlisted - 2007 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards

Shortlisted - 2007 Age Book of the Year Awards

Shortlisted - 2006 Colin Roderick Award

Shortlisted - 2007 The Westfield/Waverley Library Award for Literature

Selected in the 2007 Books Alive Great Read Guide

Voted one of Victoria’s top 5 summer reads in the State Library of Victoria's Summer Read program.

Buy the audio book:

Vision Australia Audio Books

Louis Braille Audio