Lucy struggles initially with the higher academic expectations, but quickly learns how to play the games of essay writing, arguing a case, and impressing teachers. Her sharp observational skills contrast the posh community of her classmates with the suburb in which she resides with her first generation immigrant parents and baby brother. She enters at the beginning of Year 10, unsure, shy, and mostly silent, and the story takes us through this first year. The plot is straight forward: Lucy has won (to everyone’s surprise, including her own) a scholarship to a prestigious girls’ school in Melbourne. This complex structure adds another layer to the book, but it will probably be a difficulty for some readers. It seems the intrusion of a seemingly irrelevant person, but she cannot ultimately be ignored. Lucy writes directly to a character called Linh, who remains off-page. Pung presents her narrator, Lucy Lam, in an unusual manner. Which might make it sound pretentious, but it’s certainly not that. However, as I persevered, I realised the significance of all those exquisite lines of text: they moved Laurinda from a simple school story about a girl trying to fit in, to a complex exploration of power and class.

It’s lengthy (and weighty), and early on I wished Pung could be more succinct, and less concerned with the small details. Laurinda is her first fiction book, written for a young adult audience. Until now, Alice Pung has written and edited only three hugely popular and highly acclaimed non-fiction titles. “A candid and powerful exploration of family, culture and class … it is those of us who take our fortune and privilege for granted that I wish would read this powerful book.Pung, Alice Laurinda Black Inc., 336 p., ISBN 9781863956925 SCiS 1685025 “Exquisitely sharp” - Books of the Year, the Age “Biting yet compassionate” - Books of the Year, Australian Book Review “In her debut novel successfully dramatizes the high stakes when an impoverished Chinese girl is parachuted into the private system… Pung’s forceful writing reveals the diverse and often difficult lives of her immigrant compatriots too often hidden away from us by masks of discretion.” - the Age “Pung continues to impress with her nuanced storytelling Laurinda will surely resonate with anyone who remembers the cliquey, hierarchical nature of the playground.” - Sunday Age Pung tackles big issues with a light touch.” - Herald Sun “Schoolgirl Lucy Lam was one of this year’s best characters – smart, hardworking and brave.

“Based loosely on Pung’s own experiences, the book has an unmissable ring of truth to it, making it all the more compelling and horrifying.” - the Sydney Morning Herald

Funny, horrifying, and sharp as a serpent’s fangs.' - John Marsden 'Alice Pung totally nails it with Laurinda.

Laurinda by Alice Pung