The Happiest Refugee

by

Anh Do

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Happiest Refugee makes teaching easy.

Suzie Character Analysis

Wife to Anh, and mother of Xavier, Luc and Leon, the three boys she has with Anh. Suzie, blonde and beautiful, is Anh’s fellow student in law school in Sydney. She comes from a wealthy family that lives in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in the city. Suzie doesn’t immediately reciprocate the feelings that Anh has for her. Eventually, however, she also falls in love with him, and they get married. While she works as a lawyer for a time after her marriage to Anh, she eventually leaves law to pursue her passion for writing and photography. She is very popular with Anh’s family, who like to feed her all kinds of strange Vietnamese dishes. Her husband Anh is very much in love with her.

Suzie Quotes in The Happiest Refugee

The The Happiest Refugee quotes below are all either spoken by Suzie or refer to Suzie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Migration and Luck Theme Icon
).
Chapter 8 Quotes

I turned to sneak another look. She was chatting to a girl, and then she turned in my direction again and smiled. I don’t really believe in love at first sight, but if it does exist then I had just been made a victim. I was smitten.

Related Characters: Anh Do (speaker), Suzie
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

I realised that, when he wasn’t drunk, this guy was indeed the most wonderful dad in the world. Somehow, during the past eight years I had managed to block out all the good memories and focused solely on what he’d done wrong. I realised I still very much loved this laughing, beautiful, terribly flawed man.

Related Characters: Anh Do (speaker), Tam / Anh’s Father, Suzie
Page Number: 152
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

I look across the water and am mesmerised by the beauty of this magnificent setting. My parents set off on a boat trip many years ago to provide their children and grandchildren a better life. And here we are, thanks to them, enjoying this perfect day. In that moment I know I am happy. I look up to the blue sky and give thanks.

Related Characters: Anh Do (speaker), Anh’s Mother, Suzie, Xavier, Luc, Leon
Related Symbols: The Journey
Page Number: 229
Explanation and Analysis:
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Suzie Quotes in The Happiest Refugee

The The Happiest Refugee quotes below are all either spoken by Suzie or refer to Suzie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Migration and Luck Theme Icon
).
Chapter 8 Quotes

I turned to sneak another look. She was chatting to a girl, and then she turned in my direction again and smiled. I don’t really believe in love at first sight, but if it does exist then I had just been made a victim. I was smitten.

Related Characters: Anh Do (speaker), Suzie
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

I realised that, when he wasn’t drunk, this guy was indeed the most wonderful dad in the world. Somehow, during the past eight years I had managed to block out all the good memories and focused solely on what he’d done wrong. I realised I still very much loved this laughing, beautiful, terribly flawed man.

Related Characters: Anh Do (speaker), Tam / Anh’s Father, Suzie
Page Number: 152
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

I look across the water and am mesmerised by the beauty of this magnificent setting. My parents set off on a boat trip many years ago to provide their children and grandchildren a better life. And here we are, thanks to them, enjoying this perfect day. In that moment I know I am happy. I look up to the blue sky and give thanks.

Related Characters: Anh Do (speaker), Anh’s Mother, Suzie, Xavier, Luc, Leon
Related Symbols: The Journey
Page Number: 229
Explanation and Analysis: