My Old Man and Me: A story of escape, sacrifice and survival

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.

'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, after their boat crashed, Thiet tried to save Kim's life by 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.

Endorsed by Carers Australia.

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 joy' Vivian Pham, author of The Coconut Children

'Kim Huynh's My Old Man 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

'Amazingly insightful writing on the stress arising from being a carer for a seriously ill person at home, and their myriad interactions with each other, and the resolutions one way or the other at the end are surely something the reader will find valuable in dealing with their own lot one day, especially the increasing number of elderly with multiple morbidities and increasing needs for care. On the other hand, from a reader's perspective, the book is a reassuring, soothing read, written with eloquence and honesty about being a carer. I would recommend it to my patients to assist them in their endeavours in caring for their loved ones' Dr Andrew Kwong OAM, author of One Bright Moon