Margaret Eldridge

New Mountain, New River, New Home? Margaret Eldridge

When the Tasmanian Hmong "gifted" the author with the task of placing their story on record she set about interviewing this small refugee community in Tasmania, Australia's island state. But she did more than that. She traced the history of the Hmong people from the first references in Chinese literature through their chequered history in China until some of them moved into northern Laos. The book describes, largely in their own words, their exodus from hill-tribe homes as a result of the Secret War and the conflict in Vietnam. She follows them to refugee camps in Thailand and eventually to Australia where they build a new life. The story is set amidst the context of migration, both primary and secondary, globalisation and diaspora. The book offers a comprehensive look at resettlement of this refugee community and tells a fascinating story of a resilient people.