{"product_id":"escape-from-latvia-paperback","title":"Escape From Latvia - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eVID Vidins\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is home? What does it mean to be an Australian? Can you call yourself a 'true-blue Aussie' if English is not your first language? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn to Latvian parents in a displaced persons camp in Germany, Vid's life is one marked by a persistent sense of not belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a two-year-old boy Vid arrived in Sydney Harbour on the 'Fifth Fleet', his family diverted from their original destination of Canada by the promise of a new life in Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey were part of the 'Beautiful Balts' - the migrants who were some of the first non-English speaking Europeans to emigrate to Australia after World War II. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheir blonde hair and smiling, happy faces boded well for acceptance among Australians, but 1950s regional Australia was an unforgiving place when cultural differences were so visible. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrowing up in the town of Bowral, Vid first had to contend with the flies, and then he had to face the bullies who liked to beat up the foreign boy with the funny accent until blood dripped down his shirt. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a kid who had never set foot in Latvia, Vid found he was defined by a country he hadn't ever seen and punished for his connection to a language he no longer spoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDecades later, a trip to his parents' homeland would see Vid finally start to unite his separate identities and wrestle with what it means to belong to two cultures.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a personal and thoughtful memoir at a time when Australia is increasing divided along racial lines. Vid's reflections are a challenging and timely perspective on what it really means to call Australia home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 172\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.47 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 01, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52733769285906,"sku":"9781764612104","price":23.74,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0941\/2211\/5346\/files\/SZ1ZFcGlSI9781764612104.webp?v=1790153472","url":"https:\/\/ckbookstore.net\/products\/escape-from-latvia-paperback","provider":"CK BOOKSTORE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}