Grateful Son

In this candid memoir, Josh Frydenberg recounts the formative moments and defining decisions of a career inspired by family, community and an abiding gratitude for the opportunities afforded by life in Australia.

Raised in a close-knit household shaped by the enduring legacy of his immigrant grandparents, Frydenberg dreamed of a career as a pro tennis player before studying at Oxford and Harvard. Introduced to politics while working for John Howard and Alexander Downer, he stood and won the storied federal seat of Kooyong, becoming only the seventh person since Federation to do so.

In his twelve years in Parliament, he held senior ministerial portfolios in the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments, becoming one of the nation's most respected political leaders. Then came the unique challenge of a once-in-a-century global pandemic. As Treasurer and the Liberal Party's deputy leader, he helped Australia achieve one of the strongest economic and health recoveries in the world, only to lose his seat in the election of 2022 that swept his party into the wilderness.

But there are many ways to lead: in his inspiring advocacy against antisemitism and hate in the aftermath of Australia's deadliest domestic terrorist attack at Bondi, he found the words many were searching for. In A Grateful Son, he reflects on what political power can and cannot achieve, on the cost of public life in an increasingly divided world, and on the unique promise and potential of Australia.