The Spirit of Africa, 02 Apr 2008
I just loved the whole feel of the African Continent that is hovering barely below the surface of this book. I felt the superstitious beliefs of the people that led them to adopt a small boy as a tribal chief and follow his boxing prowess throughout the years.

We meet Peekay at the age of 5 when his mother is admitted to hospital after a breakdown and he is sent to boarding school. As the youngest by 2 years and the only Rooineck (British South African), he gets a really rough time, but it paves the way for the person he is to become. He becomes adept at blending into the background and begins his life search for 'the power of one' - the strength that keeps him one step ahead of his tormentors and results in a fierce determination to learn to box.
As we follow him through his school years he meets some very unusual and influential people, all of whom help to map his character and develop him into a rather unbelievable yet charismatic all-rounder.
I would have dropped a point for these super-man qualities, but the book was a gem in spite of this.

I would never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as a (rather long!) book group read and I am so pleased I did. At the end I felt there was need for a sequel and it seems that one was written. Tandia is the story of an African woman who meets Peekay after he leaves us in the copper mines. At 920 pages it's a huge tome, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it.

Beautiful, Terrifying, Compelling., 29 Feb 2008
In 1992 I watched a film from the director of Rocky. It was OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Some years later I discovered that it was actually based on a book and almost a decade later I finally got around to buying a copy and reading it.

Let me say that The Power of One is not for the faint hearted. There are various scenes early on that are very disturbing but necessary and character driven. We see South Africa through the eyes of P.K., a young fatherless English South African (as opposed to Afrikaans) from his troubled beginnings at school, through his teens and then to young adulthood (all the while watching him realise his passions of education and boxing).

Characters in the book are well written and memorable, the surrogate father figure of Doc, the dignified Geel Piet and the odious Botha. As beautiful and at times as terrifying as the history of South Africa itself, The Power of One is essential reading. You wont forget it.

The story continues in the novel Tandia.

Well written, Beautiful and insightful- the Power of One, 30 Nov 2007
This book was reccomended to me by quite a few different people- without me mentioning it, which I took to mean that it would be quite a good book. So I read it. To say that I had to force myself to read the fist 100 hundred pages would not quite be true. The horror of what I was reading was almost over ruled by that strange human quality of needing to know what happens after- does it all end in happiness. And obviously the answer to that is- in some ways, but in many ways no. This book is moving, emotional, unexpected, well planned, very insightful. A boy growing up, a journey through his childhood, through the good and the bad. There are so many wonderful descriptions of human interactions. Courtenay must be a wonderful expert in human relationships. The most touching bit, for me, was when Peekay realises that racism is an evil disease sent to ruin good men. But obviously Courtenay puts it much better than that. I think the world could be a much beter place if everybody read this book.

The Spirit of Africa, 02 Apr 2008
I just loved the whole feel of the African Continent that is hovering barely below the surface of this book. I felt the superstitious beliefs of the people that led them to adopt a small boy as a tribal chief and follow his boxing prowess throughout the years.

We meet Peekay at the age of 5 when his mother is admitted to hospital after a breakdown and he is sent to boarding school. As the youngest by 2 years and the only Rooineck (British South African), he gets a really rough time, but it paves the way for the person he is to become. He becomes adept at blending into the background and begins his life search for 'the power of one' - the strength that keeps him one step ahead of his tormentors and results in a fierce determination to learn to box.
As we follow him through his school years he meets some very unusual and influential people, all of whom help to map his character and develop him into a rather unbelievable yet charismatic all-rounder.
I would have dropped a point for these super-man qualities, but the book was a gem in spite of this.

I would never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as a (rather long!) book group read and I am so pleased I did. At the end I felt there was need for a sequel and it seems that one was written. Tandia is the story of an African woman who meets Peekay after he leaves us in the copper mines. At 920 pages it's a huge tome, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it.

Beautiful, Terrifying, Compelling., 29 Feb 2008
In 1992 I watched a film from the director of Rocky. It was OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Some years later I discovered that it was actually based on a book and almost a decade later I finally got around to buying a copy and reading it.

Let me say that The Power of One is not for the faint hearted. There are various scenes early on that are very disturbing but necessary and character driven. We see South Africa through the eyes of P.K., a young fatherless English South African (as opposed to Afrikaans) from his troubled beginnings at school, through his teens and then to young adulthood (all the while watching him realise his passions of education and boxing).

Characters in the book are well written and memorable, the surrogate father figure of Doc, the dignified Geel Piet and the odious Botha. As beautiful and at times as terrifying as the history of South Africa itself, The Power of One is essential reading. You wont forget it.

The story continues in the novel Tandia.

Well written, Beautiful and insightful- the Power of One, 30 Nov 2007
This book was reccomended to me by quite a few different people- without me mentioning it, which I took to mean that it would be quite a good book. So I read it. To say that I had to force myself to read the fist 100 hundred pages would not quite be true. The horror of what I was reading was almost over ruled by that strange human quality of needing to know what happens after- does it all end in happiness. And obviously the answer to that is- in some ways, but in many ways no. This book is moving, emotional, unexpected, well planned, very insightful. A boy growing up, a journey through his childhood, through the good and the bad. There are so many wonderful descriptions of human interactions. Courtenay must be a wonderful expert in human relationships. The most touching bit, for me, was when Peekay realises that racism is an evil disease sent to ruin good men. But obviously Courtenay puts it much better than that. I think the world could be a much beter place if everybody read this book.

Brilliant portrait of the subtleties of racism, 15 Jan 2008
Tom Fitzsaxby is an orphan whose English surname ensures that he will be a total outcast in the rural Afrikaner orphanage he grows up in. The story follows Tom through the years of WWII and the post-war years until he is in his thirties. During this time he is dogged by the legacy of the racism that was rampant in the community of his childhood. The early stages of the book are written using the narrative voice of the young Tom. The naivety inherent in this child's perspective allows Courtenay to explore and comment on aspects of racism without ever becoming preachy or trite.

The story is peopled with a variety of fascinating characters of differing racial and social backgrounds, allowing us a glimpse into the subtly different ways that racism manifests itself. At times the plot is a trifle contrived and Tom seems to be the recipient of just a few too many lucky breaks, but the overall storyline is gripping as well as containing many interesting historical details. Overall the novel is an insightful window onto the nature of racial conflict in southern Africa.

The Power of One Revisited (almost!), 08 Oct 2007
Whitethorn is in certain respects very similar to The Power of One, and in my view this is not a bad thing. It is about a young English Orphan growing up in in a South African Boer orphanage. The story has many parallels with the original work (there are boxing references, injustices caused by racial prejudice and good finally triumphing over evil). That said, I found the book totally engrossing and found it hard to put down. If you liked The Power of One you are bound to enjoy Whitethorn.

The Spirit of Africa, 02 Apr 2008
I just loved the whole feel of the African Continent that is hovering barely below the surface of this book. I felt the superstitious beliefs of the people that led them to adopt a small boy as a tribal chief and follow his boxing prowess throughout the years.

We meet Peekay at the age of 5 when his mother is admitted to hospital after a breakdown and he is sent to boarding school. As the youngest by 2 years and the only Rooineck (British South African), he gets a really rough time, but it paves the way for the person he is to become. He becomes adept at blending into the background and begins his life search for 'the power of one' - the strength that keeps him one step ahead of his tormentors and results in a fierce determination to learn to box.
As we follow him through his school years he meets some very unusual and influential people, all of whom help to map his character and develop him into a rather unbelievable yet charismatic all-rounder.
I would have dropped a point for these super-man qualities, but the book was a gem in spite of this.

I would never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as a (rather long!) book group read and I am so pleased I did. At the end I felt there was need for a sequel and it seems that one was written. Tandia is the story of an African woman who meets Peekay after he leaves us in the copper mines. At 920 pages it's a huge tome, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it.

Beautiful, Terrifying, Compelling., 29 Feb 2008
In 1992 I watched a film from the director of Rocky. It was OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Some years later I discovered that it was actually based on a book and almost a decade later I finally got around to buying a copy and reading it.

Let me say that The Power of One is not for the faint hearted. There are various scenes early on that are very disturbing but necessary and character driven. We see South Africa through the eyes of P.K., a young fatherless English South African (as opposed to Afrikaans) from his troubled beginnings at school, through his teens and then to young adulthood (all the while watching him realise his passions of education and boxing).

Characters in the book are well written and memorable, the surrogate father figure of Doc, the dignified Geel Piet and the odious Botha. As beautiful and at times as terrifying as the history of South Africa itself, The Power of One is essential reading. You wont forget it.

The story continues in the novel Tandia.

Well written, Beautiful and insightful- the Power of One, 30 Nov 2007
This book was reccomended to me by quite a few different people- without me mentioning it, which I took to mean that it would be quite a good book. So I read it. To say that I had to force myself to read the fist 100 hundred pages would not quite be true. The horror of what I was reading was almost over ruled by that strange human quality of needing to know what happens after- does it all end in happiness. And obviously the answer to that is- in some ways, but in many ways no. This book is moving, emotional, unexpected, well planned, very insightful. A boy growing up, a journey through his childhood, through the good and the bad. There are so many wonderful descriptions of human interactions. Courtenay must be a wonderful expert in human relationships. The most touching bit, for me, was when Peekay realises that racism is an evil disease sent to ruin good men. But obviously Courtenay puts it much better than that. I think the world could be a much beter place if everybody read this book.

Brilliant portrait of the subtleties of racism, 15 Jan 2008
Tom Fitzsaxby is an orphan whose English surname ensures that he will be a total outcast in the rural Afrikaner orphanage he grows up in. The story follows Tom through the years of WWII and the post-war years until he is in his thirties. During this time he is dogged by the legacy of the racism that was rampant in the community of his childhood. The early stages of the book are written using the narrative voice of the young Tom. The naivety inherent in this child's perspective allows Courtenay to explore and comment on aspects of racism without ever becoming preachy or trite.

The story is peopled with a variety of fascinating characters of differing racial and social backgrounds, allowing us a glimpse into the subtly different ways that racism manifests itself. At times the plot is a trifle contrived and Tom seems to be the recipient of just a few too many lucky breaks, but the overall storyline is gripping as well as containing many interesting historical details. Overall the novel is an insightful window onto the nature of racial conflict in southern Africa.

The Power of One Revisited (almost!), 08 Oct 2007
Whitethorn is in certain respects very similar to The Power of One, and in my view this is not a bad thing. It is about a young English Orphan growing up in in a South African Boer orphanage. The story has many parallels with the original work (there are boxing references, injustices caused by racial prejudice and good finally triumphing over evil). That said, I found the book totally engrossing and found it hard to put down. If you liked The Power of One you are bound to enjoy Whitethorn.

Sappy, sentimental tale in need of some strong editing, 23 Aug 2008
This best-selling novel is set in outback Australia during the early 20th Century. Jessica Bergman, the heroine of the book, is a tomboy who helps her father, a Danish immigrant, run the family farm. Meanwhile her elder sister, the beautiful but stuck-up Meg, dreams up plans, with the help of her mother, to wed the local rich boy.

When a brutal murder is carried out at a neighbouring farm, Jessica helps the killer survive a lynch mob hell bent on delivering their own form of justice. This one act of compassion has long-term implications for the rest of Jessica's life - and she is banished from her family, from society and, later, from her child, who is born out of wedlock.

Ultimately this is a relatively sappy and sentimental tale, albeit it an easy to read one. (I was trapped on a long-haul flight with it, and read pretty much the entire 676 pages on the plane.)

While it's supposedly based on a true story, Courtenay offers no explanations, no historical footnotes or afterword to back this up. I'm inclined to think that the murder and Jessica's role in its aftermath may, in fact, be the only true elements and Courtenay has fabricated the rest, which is fine, because it's fiction after all, but as a reader I would have liked to have known what was true and what was not.

That's not my only problem with Jessica. I found much of it sloppily written and in need of some strong editing. It's at least 300 pages too long.

The story meanders all over the place and goes off in unexpected tangents. I would not mind this if those tangents were neatly drawn together at the end, but they are not. Instead, it's like the author made things up as he went along - and no one, not even the editor he so generously thanks in his acknowledgements, bothers to pull him up on this.

The author also has a tendency to hector his readers with his own views (on the treatment of women, on the treatment of aboriginals) instead of letting the reader make up their own mind. I found this patronising and it irritated the hell out of me.

Some of the scenes are overworked and repetitive, much of the dialogue is false (including the colloquialisms, which grated) and the characterisation poor and based on stereotypes (the mother, for instance, is like the Wicked Witch of the West and Jessica may as well have been Cindarella).

All of this is a shame, because there's a brilliant novel in here just dying to get out. A second, possibly third, draft might have ironed out some of these problems.

All in all, Jessica has confirmed what I have thought all along: that this best-selling author is really not for me. Although, judging by his sales figures, I'm probably quite alone in this view. And if you look at the favourable reviews on this site I suspect I'll be lynched for giving this book just two stars. Oh well.


Excellent read !!!, 12 Jun 2008
I've read the Power of One, and Tandia, which were both excellent - amongst some of the best I have ever read... and this one I thought was a great read too.... Well worth the price!! Buy it today..

Fantastic, 26 Jun 2007
Bryce Courtenay can do no wrong. His books all make you feel like you are the main character in one of his tales, whether it is make believe or a true one. This is a wonderful and very moving story of a young girls struggles through life.

Wonderfully written tragedy, 04 Jun 2007
I thought Tandia was superb, and Brother Fish far too long. So, picked this up at charity shop with some sense of pessimism.
But, how wrong could I be! From the opening chapters, Courtenay's portrayal of lead Jessica, is stirring, emotive and engrossing. The story evokes such images of despair, lost love and tenderness.
A wonderful book that will leave you searching for a quiet moment to reflect.

A Brilliant Book., 18 Apr 2007
I don't really need to add too much here, as all the other reviews are correct. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I really couldn't put it down. I have also seen the DVD of the same name, it was also good, but I would recommend reading the book before being tempted to watch the DVD. Buy it!

The Spirit of Africa, 02 Apr 2008
I just loved the whole feel of the African Continent that is hovering barely below the surface of this book. I felt the superstitious beliefs of the people that led them to adopt a small boy as a tribal chief and follow his boxing prowess throughout the years.

We meet Peekay at the age of 5 when his mother is admitted to hospital after a breakdown and he is sent to boarding school. As the youngest by 2 years and the only Rooineck (British South African), he gets a really rough time, but it paves the way for the person he is to become. He becomes adept at blending into the background and begins his life search for 'the power of one' - the strength that keeps him one step ahead of his tormentors and results in a fierce determination to learn to box.
As we follow him through his school years he meets some very unusual and influential people, all of whom help to map his character and develop him into a rather unbelievable yet charismatic all-rounder.
I would have dropped a point for these super-man qualities, but the book was a gem in spite of this.

I would never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as a (rather long!) book group read and I am so pleased I did. At the end I felt there was need for a sequel and it seems that one was written. Tandia is the story of an African woman who meets Peekay after he leaves us in the copper mines. At 920 pages it's a huge tome, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it.

Beautiful, Terrifying, Compelling., 29 Feb 2008
In 1992 I watched a film from the director of Rocky. It was OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Some years later I discovered that it was actually based on a book and almost a decade later I finally got around to buying a copy and reading it.

Let me say that The Power of One is not for the faint hearted. There are various scenes early on that are very disturbing but necessary and character driven. We see South Africa through the eyes of P.K., a young fatherless English South African (as opposed to Afrikaans) from his troubled beginnings at school, through his teens and then to young adulthood (all the while watching him realise his passions of education and boxing).

Characters in the book are well written and memorable, the surrogate father figure of Doc, the dignified Geel Piet and the odious Botha. As beautiful and at times as terrifying as the history of South Africa itself, The Power of One is essential reading. You wont forget it.

The story continues in the novel Tandia.

Well written, Beautiful and insightful- the Power of One, 30 Nov 2007
This book was reccomended to me by quite a few different people- without me mentioning it, which I took to mean that it would be quite a good book. So I read it. To say that I had to force myself to read the fist 100 hundred pages would not quite be true. The horror of what I was reading was almost over ruled by that strange human quality of needing to know what happens after- does it all end in happiness. And obviously the answer to that is- in some ways, but in many ways no. This book is moving, emotional, unexpected, well planned, very insightful. A boy growing up, a journey through his childhood, through the good and the bad. There are so many wonderful descriptions of human interactions. Courtenay must be a wonderful expert in human relationships. The most touching bit, for me, was when Peekay realises that racism is an evil disease sent to ruin good men. But obviously Courtenay puts it much better than that. I think the world could be a much beter place if everybody read this book.

Brilliant portrait of the subtleties of racism, 15 Jan 2008
Tom Fitzsaxby is an orphan whose English surname ensures that he will be a total outcast in the rural Afrikaner orphanage he grows up in. The story follows Tom through the years of WWII and the post-war years until he is in his thirties. During this time he is dogged by the legacy of the racism that was rampant in the community of his childhood. The early stages of the book are written using the narrative voice of the young Tom. The naivety inherent in this child's perspective allows Courtenay to explore and comment on aspects of racism without ever becoming preachy or trite.

The story is peopled with a variety of fascinating characters of differing racial and social backgrounds, allowing us a glimpse into the subtly different ways that racism manifests itself. At times the plot is a trifle contrived and Tom seems to be the recipient of just a few too many lucky breaks, but the overall storyline is gripping as well as containing many interesting historical details. Overall the novel is an insightful window onto the nature of racial conflict in southern Africa.

The Power of One Revisited (almost!), 08 Oct 2007
Whitethorn is in certain respects very similar to The Power of One, and in my view this is not a bad thing. It is about a young English Orphan growing up in in a South African Boer orphanage. The story has many parallels with the original work (there are boxing references, injustices caused by racial prejudice and good finally triumphing over evil). That said, I found the book totally engrossing and found it hard to put down. If you liked The Power of One you are bound to enjoy Whitethorn.

Sappy, sentimental tale in need of some strong editing, 23 Aug 2008
This best-selling novel is set in outback Australia during the early 20th Century. Jessica Bergman, the heroine of the book, is a tomboy who helps her father, a Danish immigrant, run the family farm. Meanwhile her elder sister, the beautiful but stuck-up Meg, dreams up plans, with the help of her mother, to wed the local rich boy.

When a brutal murder is carried out at a neighbouring farm, Jessica helps the killer survive a lynch mob hell bent on delivering their own form of justice. This one act of compassion has long-term implications for the rest of Jessica's life - and she is banished from her family, from society and, later, from her child, who is born out of wedlock.

Ultimately this is a relatively sappy and sentimental tale, albeit it an easy to read one. (I was trapped on a long-haul flight with it, and read pretty much the entire 676 pages on the plane.)

While it's supposedly based on a true story, Courtenay offers no explanations, no historical footnotes or afterword to back this up. I'm inclined to think that the murder and Jessica's role in its aftermath may, in fact, be the only true elements and Courtenay has fabricated the rest, which is fine, because it's fiction after all, but as a reader I would have liked to have known what was true and what was not.

That's not my only problem with Jessica. I found much of it sloppily written and in need of some strong editing. It's at least 300 pages too long.

The story meanders all over the place and goes off in unexpected tangents. I would not mind this if those tangents were neatly drawn together at the end, but they are not. Instead, it's like the author made things up as he went along - and no one, not even the editor he so generously thanks in his acknowledgements, bothers to pull him up on this.

The author also has a tendency to hector his readers with his own views (on the treatment of women, on the treatment of aboriginals) instead of letting the reader make up their own mind. I found this patronising and it irritated the hell out of me.

Some of the scenes are overworked and repetitive, much of the dialogue is false (including the colloquialisms, which grated) and the characterisation poor and based on stereotypes (the mother, for instance, is like the Wicked Witch of the West and Jessica may as well have been Cindarella).

All of this is a shame, because there's a brilliant novel in here just dying to get out. A second, possibly third, draft might have ironed out some of these problems.

All in all, Jessica has confirmed what I have thought all along: that this best-selling author is really not for me. Although, judging by his sales figures, I'm probably quite alone in this view. And if you look at the favourable reviews on this site I suspect I'll be lynched for giving this book just two stars. Oh well.


Excellent read !!!, 12 Jun 2008
I've read the Power of One, and Tandia, which were both excellent - amongst some of the best I have ever read... and this one I thought was a great read too.... Well worth the price!! Buy it today..

Fantastic, 26 Jun 2007
Bryce Courtenay can do no wrong. His books all make you feel like you are the main character in one of his tales, whether it is make believe or a true one. This is a wonderful and very moving story of a young girls struggles through life.

Wonderfully written tragedy, 04 Jun 2007
I thought Tandia was superb, and Brother Fish far too long. So, picked this up at charity shop with some sense of pessimism.
But, how wrong could I be! From the opening chapters, Courtenay's portrayal of lead Jessica, is stirring, emotive and engrossing. The story evokes such images of despair, lost love and tenderness.
A wonderful book that will leave you searching for a quiet moment to reflect.

A Brilliant Book., 18 Apr 2007
I don't really need to add too much here, as all the other reviews are correct. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I really couldn't put it down. I have also seen the DVD of the same name, it was also good, but I would recommend reading the book before being tempted to watch the DVD. Buy it!

Sylvia, 06 Jul 2008
Keeps you interested from the very beginning, with quite a few twists, gets a little laborious towards the end as it dwells on the same subject but I just love Bryce Courtenay books so what more can I say.

The Spirit of Africa, 02 Apr 2008
I just loved the whole feel of the African Continent that is hovering barely below the surface of this book. I felt the superstitious beliefs of the people that led them to adopt a small boy as a tribal chief and follow his boxing prowess throughout the years.

We meet Peekay at the age of 5 when his mother is admitted to hospital after a breakdown and he is sent to boarding school. As the youngest by 2 years and the only Rooineck (British South African), he gets a really rough time, but it paves the way for the person he is to become. He becomes adept at blending into the background and begins his life search for 'the power of one' - the strength that keeps him one step ahead of his tormentors and results in a fierce determination to learn to box.
As we follow him through his school years he meets some very unusual and influential people, all of whom help to map his character and develop him into a rather unbelievable yet charismatic all-rounder.
I would have dropped a point for these super-man qualities, but the book was a gem in spite of this.

I would never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as a (rather long!) book group read and I am so pleased I did. At the end I felt there was need for a sequel and it seems that one was written. Tandia is the story of an African woman who meets Peekay after he leaves us in the copper mines. At 920 pages it's a huge tome, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it.

Beautiful, Terrifying, Compelling., 29 Feb 2008
In 1992 I watched a film from the director of Rocky. It was OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Some years later I discovered that it was actually based on a book and almost a decade later I finally got around to buying a copy and reading it.

Let me say that The Power of One is not for the faint hearted. There are various scenes early on that are very disturbing but necessary and character driven. We see South Africa through the eyes of P.K., a young fatherless English South African (as opposed to Afrikaans) from his troubled beginnings at school, through his teens and then to young adulthood (all the while watching him realise his passions of education and boxing).

Characters in the book are well written and memorable, the surrogate father figure of Doc, the dignified Geel Piet and the odious Botha. As beautiful and at times as terrifying as the history of South Africa itself, The Power of One is essential reading. You wont forget it.

The story continues in the novel Tandia.

Well written, Beautiful and insightful- the Power of One, 30 Nov 2007
This book was reccomended to me by quite a few different people- without me mentioning it, which I took to mean that it would be quite a good book. So I read it. To say that I had to force myself to read the fist 100 hundred pages would not quite be true. The horror of what I was reading was almost over ruled by that strange human quality of needing to know what happens after- does it all end in happiness. And obviously the answer to that is- in some ways, but in many ways no. This book is moving, emotional, unexpected, well planned, very insightful. A boy growing up, a journey through his childhood, through the good and the bad. There are so many wonderful descriptions of human interactions. Courtenay must be a wonderful expert in human relationships. The most touching bit, for me, was when Peekay realises that racism is an evil disease sent to ruin good men. But obviously Courtenay puts it much better than that. I think the world could be a much beter place if everybody read this book.

Brilliant portrait of the subtleties of racism, 15 Jan 2008
Tom Fitzsaxby is an orphan whose English surname ensures that he will be a total outcast in the rural Afrikaner orphanage he grows up in. The story follows Tom through the years of WWII and the post-war years until he is in his thirties. During this time he is dogged by the legacy of the racism that was rampant in the community of his childhood. The early stages of the book are written using the narrative voice of the young Tom. The naivety inherent in this child's perspective allows Courtenay to explore and comment on aspects of racism without ever becoming preachy or trite.

The story is peopled with a variety of fascinating characters of differing racial and social backgrounds, allowing us a glimpse into the subtly different ways that racism manifests itself. At times the plot is a trifle contrived and Tom seems to be the recipient of just a few too many lucky breaks, but the overall storyline is gripping as well as containing many interesting historical details. Overall the novel is an insightful window onto the nature of racial conflict in southern Africa.

The Power of One Revisited (almost!), 08 Oct 2007
Whitethorn is in certain respects very similar to The Power of One, and in my view this is not a bad thing. It is about a young English Orphan growing up in in a South African Boer orphanage. The story has many parallels with the original work (there are boxing references, injustices caused by racial prejudice and good finally triumphing over evil). That said, I found the book totally engrossing and found it hard to put down. If you liked The Power of One you are bound to enjoy Whitethorn.

Sappy, sentimental tale in need of some strong editing, 23 Aug 2008
This best-selling novel is set in outback Australia during the early 20th Century. Jessica Bergman, the heroine of the book, is a tomboy who helps her father, a Danish immigrant, run the family farm. Meanwhile her elder sister, the beautiful but stuck-up Meg, dreams up plans, with the help of her mother, to wed the local rich boy.

When a brutal murder is carried out at a neighbouring farm, Jessica helps the killer survive a lynch mob hell bent on delivering their own form of justice. This one act of compassion has long-term implications for the rest of Jessica's life - and she is banished from her family, from society and, later, from her child, who is born out of wedlock.

Ultimately this is a relatively sappy and sentimental tale, albeit it an easy to read one. (I was trapped on a long-haul flight with it, and read pretty much the entire 676 pages on the plane.)

While it's supposedly based on a true story, Courtenay offers no explanations, no historical footnotes or afterword to back this up. I'm inclined to think that the murder and Jessica's role in its aftermath may, in fact, be the only true elements and Courtenay has fabricated the rest, which is fine, because it's fiction after all, but as a reader I would have liked to have known what was true and what was not.

That's not my only problem with Jessica. I found much of it sloppily written and in need of some strong editing. It's at least 300 pages too long.

The story meanders all over the place and goes off in unexpected tangents. I would not mind this if those tangents were neatly drawn together at the end, but they are not. Instead, it's like the author made things up as he went along - and no one, not even the editor he so generously thanks in his acknowledgements, bothers to pull him up on this.

The author also has a tendency to hector his readers with his own views (on the treatment of women, on the treatment of aboriginals) instead of letting the reader make up their own mind. I found this patronising and it irritated the hell out of me.

Some of the scenes are overworked and repetitive, much of the dialogue is false (including the colloquialisms, which grated) and the characterisation poor and based on stereotypes (the mother, for instance, is like the Wicked Witch of the West and Jessica may as well have been Cindarella).

All of this is a shame, because there's a brilliant novel in here just dying to get out. A second, possibly third, draft might have ironed out some of these problems.

All in all, Jessica has confirmed what I have thought all along: that this best-selling author is really not for me. Although, judging by his sales figures, I'm probably quite alone in this view. And if you look at the favourable reviews on this site I suspect I'll be lynched for giving this book just two stars. Oh well.


Excellent read !!!, 12 Jun 2008
I've read the Power of One, and Tandia, which were both excellent - amongst some of the best I have ever read... and this one I thought was a great read too.... Well worth the price!! Buy it today..

Fantastic, 26 Jun 2007
Bryce Courtenay can do no wrong. His books all make you feel like you are the main character in one of his tales, whether it is make believe or a true one. This is a wonderful and very moving story of a young girls struggles through life.

Wonderfully written tragedy, 04 Jun 2007
I thought Tandia was superb, and Brother Fish far too long. So, picked this up at charity shop with some sense of pessimism.
But, how wrong could I be! From the opening chapters, Courtenay's portrayal of lead Jessica, is stirring, emotive and engrossing. The story evokes such images of despair, lost love and tenderness.
A wonderful book that will leave you searching for a quiet moment to reflect.

A Brilliant Book., 18 Apr 2007
I don't really need to add too much here, as all the other reviews are correct. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I really couldn't put it down. I have also seen the DVD of the same name, it was also good, but I would recommend reading the book before being tempted to watch the DVD. Buy it!

Sylvia, 06 Jul 2008
Keeps you interested from the very beginning, with quite a few twists, gets a little laborious towards the end as it dwells on the same subject but I just love Bryce Courtenay books so what more can I say.

An incredidble sequel, 10 Jun 2008
I read 'the Power of One' and found that I couldn't get enough of the moving, emotional story and hearty african tone. Tandia is an even more, deep, powerful story of struggle and survival that shocks and entices the reader with every page. The theme of love is explored on a different level to the last book and the story allows an insight into a different side of life in Africa.
This is a must read for people who loved the first book and who are looking for that fulfilling end to Peekays story.

Strong Follow Up, 29 Feb 2008
Tandia (the follow up to The Power of One) arrived just in time for me to start reading it as soon as I had finished its predecessor ( a very, very good book by the way). I was a bit dubious about reading it to be honest (apart from the length I wondered whether it would be a weak cash in on the success of the first book) but I soon realised that once again Bryce Courtenay had created another compelling, very readable and challenging/disturbing work.

As the title suggests P.K. eventually becomes a supporting player and we see South Africa more and more through Tandia's eyes. The characters are once again strong and memorable and the threat of approaching tragedy is always looming making it a tenser read than its predecessor.

Although I have fonder memories of The Power of One this is a great novel and a more than worthy follow up.

A page-turner all the way:), 10 Mar 2006
I am very fussy when chosing a novel. I want something that draws me in right from the beginning, I want something where the sentences flow easily and I always want something that keeps me wanting to read more. A book that captures your imagination and makes you want to 'leave the housework' for much, much later so that you can read 'just one more' page is what I want and guys, THIS is that novel. As a young woman of mixed race myself, I really related to this novel and found the characters believable and really loveable. Read this novel, its everything you could ever ask for.

Juicy Fruit Mambo?, 23 Nov 2003
Normally I wouldn't bother writing reviews for stuff - there just isn't enough time in the day - but I've decided to make this an exception because the one review that has been written does it no justice whatsoever.

The Power of One is a great book (although the film, apart from Morgan Freeman, wasn't all that great). Tandia is far better.

Anybody who has read The Power of One will know that the hero of the book is a small, English, white boy nicknamed Peekay, (we never do find out his real name)living in South Africa. In Tandia, not only do we get to see Peekay as an adult, but we get a new heroine - Tandia.

Now of course, as you've probably guessed, there is going to be a bit of a love story in there. But it doesn't take over the whole story - it doesn't even start until towards the end of the book. The racism and injustice of South Africa is the main theme, but you still get a sense of how much the author loves the country, and is capable of seeing the good in it.

The greatest thing about Tandia is the characters; most are likeable, but all are flawed. Even our hero and heroine never descend into that mawkish 'too good to be true' territory. While Peekay is brave, stalwart and true (and good looking, which a hero should be if he can possibly help it) he is still naive and impractical. My own natural cynicism may add a little bias here, but just because you play by the rules, that is no reason to assume that everybody else will.

The names speak for themselves - brothel owner and former good time girl Mama Tequila, her equally corrupt and ruthless sister Madame Flame Flo, the German proffessor 'Doc', and a bodyguard and chauffeur going by the name of Juicy Fruit Mambo.

I should probably add a little parental guidance warning here - there is a hell of a lot of swearing, and one very graphic rape scene towards the beginning, but I can honestly say that I first read this when I was about 13 (though of course it has been re-read to the point where the gilt on the title has completely rubbed away - I now own a rather battered copy of 'ia') and any violence in the book is not gratuitous, but there for a reason. How else are we going to be able to grasp the cruelty, and pure capacity for evil that Geldenhuis possesses, if we are not subjected to this?

For me, the ending of a book is everything. If it ends badly, then it spoils the entire book for me (which is why, perhaps, I never read I Capture the Castle again), but this is one of the best endings I have ever read. It doesn't resolve everything, but the reader isn't left with that feeling that the book has been ended on a cliffhanger purely because the author was too lazy to think of a different one.

As you've probably guessed, I love this book to pieces, but if you are thinking of buying, I would recommend that you read The Power of One first, as not only is it a great book, but the storyline and the way that the characters develop will make a lot more sense.

Tandia-a review, 19 Nov 2003
Tandia is the sequel to the more well known story of Bryce Courtney, 'The Power of One'. It is a very gripping novel with lots of action, as well as finding out what became of Peekay after his accident in the mine shaft at the end of 'The Power of One'. It tells the story of Tandia, a half Indian and half black girl growing up in South Africa in the height of apartheid. Although in parts it is rather graphic, this only serves to emphasise the reality of the oppressive apartheid regime, and by the end of the novel you really feel that you know the characters well. I definately recommend this book.

The Spirit of Africa, 02 Apr 2008
I just loved the whole feel of the African Continent that is hovering barely below the surface of this book. I felt the superstitious beliefs of the people that led them to adopt a small boy as a tribal chief and follow his boxing prowess throughout the years.

We meet Peekay at the age of 5 when his mother is admitted to hospital after a breakdown and he is sent to boarding school. As the youngest by 2 years and the only Rooineck (British South African), he gets a really rough time, but it paves the way for the person he is to become. He becomes adept at blending into the background and begins his life search for 'the power of one' - the strength that keeps him one step ahead of his tormentors and results in a fierce determination to learn to box.
As we follow him through his school years he meets some very unusual and influential people, all of whom help to map his character and develop him into a rather unbelievable yet charismatic all-rounder.
I would have dropped a point for these super-man qualities, but the book was a gem in spite of this.

I would never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as a (rather long!) book group read and I am so pleased I did. At the end I felt there was need for a sequel and it seems that one was written. Tandia is the story of an African woman who meets Peekay after he leaves us in the copper mines. At 920 pages it's a huge tome, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it.

Beautiful, Terrifying, Compelling., 29 Feb 2008
In 1992 I watched a film from the director of Rocky. It was OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Some years later I discovered that it was actually based on a book and almost a decade later I finally got around to buying a copy and reading it.

Let me say that The Power of One is not for the faint hearted. There are various scenes early on that are very disturbing but necessary and character driven. We see South Africa through the eyes of P.K., a young fatherless English South African (as opposed to Afrikaans) from his troubled beginnings at school, through his teens and then to young adulthood (all the while watching him realise his passions of education and boxing).

Characters in the book are well written and memorable, the surrogate father figure of Doc, the dignified Geel Piet and the odious Botha. As beautiful and at times as terrifying as the history of South Africa itself, The Power of One is essential reading. You wont forget it.

The story continues in the novel Tandia.

Well written, Beautiful and insightful- the Power of One, 30 Nov 2007
This book was reccomended to me by quite a few different people- without me mentioning it, which I took to mean that it would be quite a good book. So I read it. To say that I had to force myself to read the fist 100 hundred pages would not quite be true. The horror of what I was reading was almost over ruled by that strange human quality of needing to know what happens after- does it all end in happiness. And obviously the answer to that is- in some ways, but in many ways no. This book is moving, emotional, unexpected, well planned, very insightful. A boy growing up, a journey through his childhood, through the good and the bad. There are so many wonderful descriptions of human interactions. Courtenay must be a wonderful expert in human relationships. The most touching bit, for me, was when Peekay realises that racism is an evil disease sent to ruin good men. But obviously Courtenay puts it much better than that. I think the world could be a much beter place if everybody read this book.

Brilliant portrait of the subtleties of racism, 15 Jan 2008
Tom Fitzsaxby is an orphan whose English surname ensures that he will be a total outcast in the rural Afrikaner orphanage he grows up in. The story follows Tom through the years of WWII and the post-war years until he is in his thirties. During this time he is dogged by the legacy of the racism that was rampant in the community of his childhood. The early stages of the book are written using the narrative voice of the young Tom. The naivety inherent in this child's perspective allows Courtenay to explore and comment on aspects of racism without ever becoming preachy or trite.

The story is peopled with a variety of fascinating characters of differing racial and social backgrounds, allowing us a glimpse into the subtly different ways that racism manifests itself. At times the plot is a trifle contrived and Tom seems to be the recipient of just a few too many lucky breaks, but the overall storyline is gripping as well as containing many interesting historical details. Overall the novel is an insightful window onto the nature of racial conflict in southern Africa.

The Power of One Revisited (almost!), 08 Oct 2007
Whitethorn is in certain respects very similar to The Power of One, and in my view this is not a bad thing. It is about a young English Orphan growing up in in a South African Boer orphanage. The story has many parallels with the original work (there are boxing references, injustices caused by racial prejudice and good finally triumphing over evil). That said, I found the book totally engrossing and found it hard to put down. If you liked The Power of One you are bound to enjoy Whitethorn.

Sappy, sentimental tale in need of some strong editing, 23 Aug 2008
This best-selling novel is set in outback Australia during the early 20th Century. Jessica Bergman, the heroine of the book, is a tomboy who helps her father, a Danish immigrant, run the family farm. Meanwhile her elder sister, the beautiful but stuck-up Meg, dreams up plans, with the help of her mother, to wed the local rich boy.

When a brutal murder is carried out at a neighbouring farm, Jessica helps the killer survive a lynch mob hell bent on delivering their own form of justice. This one act of compassion has long-term implications for the rest of Jessica's life - and she is banished from her family, from society and, later, from her child, who is born out of wedlock.

Ultimately this is a relatively sappy and sentimental tale, albeit it an easy to read one. (I was trapped on a long-haul flight with it, and read pretty much the entire 676 pages on the plane.)

While it's supposedly based on a true story, Courtenay offers no explanations, no historical footnotes or afterword to back this up. I'm inclined to think that the murder and Jessica's role in its aftermath may, in fact, be the only true elements and Courtenay has fabricated the rest, which is fine, because it's fiction after all, but as a reader I would have liked to have known what was true and what was not.

That's not my only problem with Jessica. I found much of it sloppily written and in need of some strong editing. It's at least 300 pages too long.

The story meanders all over the place and goes off in unexpected tangents. I would not mind this if those tangents were neatly drawn together at the end, but they are not. Instead, it's like the author made things up as he went along - and no one, not even the editor he so generously thanks in his acknowledgements, bothers to pull him up on this.

The author also has a tendency to hector his readers with his own views (on the treatment of women, on the treatment of aboriginals) instead of letting the reader make up their own mind. I found this patronising and it irritated the hell out of me.

Some of the scenes are overworked and repetitive, much of the dialogue is false (including the colloquialisms, which grated) and the characterisation poor and based on stereotypes (the mother, for instance, is like the Wicked Witch of the West and Jessica may as well have been Cindarella).

All of this is a shame, because there's a brilliant novel in here just dying to get out. A second, possibly third, draft might have ironed out some of these problems.

All in all, Jessica has confirmed what I have thought all along: that this best-selling author is really not for me. Although, judging by his sales figures, I'm probably quite alone in this view. And if you look at the favourable reviews on this site I suspect I'll be lynched for giving this book just two stars. Oh well.


Excellent read !!!, 12 Jun 2008
I've read the Power of One, and Tandia, which were both excellent - amongst some of the best I have ever read... and this one I thought was a great read too.... Well worth the price!! Buy it today..

Fantastic, 26 Jun 2007
Bryce Courtenay can do no wrong. His books all make you feel like you are the main character in one of his tales, whether it is make believe or a true one. This is a wonderful and very moving story of a young girls struggles through life.

Wonderfully written tragedy, 04 Jun 2007
I thought Tandia was superb, and Brother Fish far too long. So, picked this up at charity shop with some sense of pessimism.
But, how wrong could I be! From the opening chapters, Courtenay's portrayal of lead Jessica, is stirring, emotive and engrossing. The story evokes such images of despair, lost love and tenderness.
A wonderful book that will leave you searching for a quiet moment to reflect.

A Brilliant Book., 18 Apr 2007
I don't really need to add too much here, as all the other reviews are correct. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I really couldn't put it down. I have also seen the DVD of the same name, it was also good, but I would recommend reading the book before being tempted to watch the DVD. Buy it!

Sylvia, 06 Jul 2008
Keeps you interested from the very beginning, with quite a few twists, gets a little laborious towards the end as it dwells on the same subject but I just love Bryce Courtenay books so what more can I say.

An incredidble sequel, 10 Jun 2008
I read 'the Power of One' and found that I couldn't get enough of the moving, emotional story and hearty african tone. Tandia is an even more, deep, powerful story of struggle and survival that shocks and entices the reader with every page. The theme of love is explored on a different level to the last book and the story allows an insight into a different side of life in Africa.
This is a must read for people who loved the first book and who are looking for that fulfilling end to Peekays story.

Strong Follow Up, 29 Feb 2008
Tandia (the follow up to The Power of One) arrived just in time for me to start reading it as soon as I had finished its predecessor ( a very, very good book by the way). I was a bit dubious about reading it to be honest (apart from the length I wondered whether it would be a weak cash in on the success of the first book) but I soon realised that once again Bryce Courtenay had created another compelling, very readable and challenging/disturbing work.

As the title suggests P.K. eventually becomes a supporting player and we see South Africa more and more through Tandia's eyes. The characters are once again strong and memorable and the threat of approaching tragedy is always looming making it a tenser read than its predecessor.

Although I have fonder memories of The Power of One this is a great novel and a more than worthy follow up.

A page-turner all the way:), 10 Mar 2006
I am very fussy when chosing a novel. I want something that draws me in right from the beginning, I want something where the sentences flow easily and I always want something that keeps me wanting to read more. A book that captures your imagination and makes you want to 'leave the housework' for much, much later so that you can read 'just one more' page is what I want and guys, THIS is that novel. As a young woman of mixed race myself, I really related to this novel and found the characters believable and really loveable. Read this novel, its everything you could ever ask for.

Juicy Fruit Mambo?, 23 Nov 2003
Normally I wouldn't bother writing reviews for stuff - there just isn't enough time in the day - but I've decided to make this an exception because the one review that has been written does it no justice whatsoever.

The Power of One is a great book (although the film, apart from Morgan Freeman, wasn't all that great). Tandia is far better.

Anybody who has read The Power of One will know that the hero of the book is a small, English, white boy nicknamed Peekay, (we never do find out his real name)living in South Africa. In Tandia, not only do we get to see Peekay as an adult, but we get a new heroine - Tandia.

Now of course, as you've probably guessed, there is going to be a bit of a love story in there. But it doesn't take over the whole story - it doesn't even start until towards the end of the book. The racism and injustice of South Africa is the main theme, but you still get a sense of how much the author loves the country, and is capable of seeing the good in it.

The greatest thing about Tandia is the characters; most are likeable, but all are flawed. Even our hero and heroine never descend into that mawkish 'too good to be true' territory. While Peekay is brave, stalwart and true (and good looking, which a hero should be if he can possibly help it) he is still naive and impractical. My own natural cynicism may add a little bias here, but just because you play by the rules, that is no reason to assume that everybody else will.

The names speak for themselves - brothel owner and former good time girl Mama Tequila, her equally corrupt and ruthless sister Madame Flame Flo, the German proffessor 'Doc', and a bodyguard and chauffeur going by the name of Juicy Fruit Mambo.

I should probably add a little parental guidance warning here - there is a hell of a lot of swearing, and one very graphic rape scene towards the beginning, but I can honestly say that I first read this when I was about 13 (though of course it has been re-read to the point where the gilt on the title has completely rubbed away - I now own a rather battered copy of 'ia') and any violence in the book is not gratuitous, but there for a reason. How else are we going to be able to grasp the cruelty, and pure capacity for evil that Geldenhuis possesses, if we are not subjected to this?

For me, the ending of a book is everything. If it ends badly, then it spoils the entire book for me (which is why, perhaps, I never read I Capture the Castle again), but this is one of the best endings I have ever read. It doesn't resolve everything, but the reader isn't left with that feeling that the book has been ended on a cliffhanger purely because the author was too lazy to think of a different one.

As you've probably guessed, I love this book to pieces, but if you are thinking of buying, I would recommend that you read The Power of One first, as not only is it a great book, but the storyline and the way that the characters develop will make a lot more sense.

Tandia-a review, 19 Nov 2003
Tandia is the sequel to the more well known story of Bryce Courtney, 'The Power of One'. It is a very gripping novel with lots of action, as well as finding out what became of Peekay after his accident in the mine shaft at the end of 'The Power of One'. It tells the story of Tandia, a half Indian and half black girl growing up in South Africa in the height of apartheid. Although in parts it is rather graphic, this only serves to emphasise the reality of the oppressive apartheid regime, and by the end of the novel you really feel that you know the characters well. I definately recommend this book.

Sylvia, 06 Jul 2008
Keeps you interested from the very beginning, with quite a few twists, gets a little laborious towards the end as it dwells on the same subject but I just love Bryce Courtenay books so what more can I say.

The Spirit of Africa, 02 Apr 2008
I just loved the whole feel of the African Continent that is hovering barely below the surface of this book. I felt the superstitious beliefs of the people that led them to adopt a small boy as a tribal chief and follow his boxing prowess throughout the years.

We meet Peekay at the age of 5 when his mother is admitted to hospital after a breakdown and he is sent to boarding school. As the youngest by 2 years and the only Rooineck (British South African), he gets a really rough time, but it paves the way for the person he is to become. He becomes adept at blending into the background and begins his life search for 'the power of one' - the strength that keeps him one step ahead of his tormentors and results in a fierce determination to learn to box.
As we follow him through his school years he meets some very unusual and influential people, all of whom help to map his character and develop him into a rather unbelievable yet charismatic all-rounder.
I would have dropped a point for these super-man qualities, but the book was a gem in spite of this.

I would never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as a (rather long!) book group read and I am so pleased I did. At the end I felt there was need for a sequel and it seems that one was written. Tandia is the story of an African woman who meets Peekay after he leaves us in the copper mines. At 920 pages it's a huge tome, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it.

Beautiful, Terrifying, Compelling., 29 Feb 2008
In 1992 I watched a film from the director of Rocky. It was OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Some years later I discovered that it was actually based on a book and almost a decade later I finally got around to buying a copy and reading it.

Let me say that The Power of One is not for the faint hearted. There are various scenes early on that are very disturbing but necessary and character driven. We see South Africa through the eyes of P.K., a young fatherless English South African (as opposed to Afrikaans) from his troubled beginnings at school, through his teens and then to young adulthood (all the while watching him realise his passions of education and boxing).

Characters in the book are well written and memorable, the surrogate father figure of Doc, the dignified Geel Piet and the odious Botha. As beautiful and at times as terrifying as the history of South Africa itself, The Power of One is essential reading. You wont forget it.

The story continues in the novel Tandia.

Well written, Beautiful and insightful- the Power of One, 30 Nov 2007
This book was reccomended to me by quite a few different people- without me mentioning it, which I took to mean that it would be quite a good book. So I read it. To say that I had to force myself to read the fist 100 hundred pages would not quite be true. The horror of what I was reading was almost over ruled by that strange human quality of needing to know what happens after- does it all end in happiness. And obviously the answer to that is- in some ways, but in many ways no. This book is moving, emotional, unexpected, well planned, very insightful. A boy growing up, a journey through his childhood, through the good and the bad. There are so many wonderful descriptions of human interactions. Courtenay must be a wonderful expert in human relationships. The most touching bit, for me, was when Peekay realises that racism is an evil disease sent to ruin good men. But obviously Courtenay puts it much better than that. I think the world could be a much beter place if everybody read this book.

Brilliant portrait of the subtleties of racism, 15 Jan 2008
Tom Fitzsaxby is an orphan whose English surname ensures that he will be a total outcast in the rural Afrikaner orphanage he grows up in. The story follows Tom through the years of WWII and the post-war years until he is in his thirties. During this time he is dogged by the legacy of the racism that was rampant in the community of his childhood. The early stages of the book are written using the narrative voice of the young Tom. The naivety inherent in this child's perspective allows Courtenay to explore and comment on aspects of racism without ever becoming preachy or trite.

The story is peopled with a variety of fascinating characters of differing racial and social backgrounds, allowing us a glimpse into the subtly different ways that racism manifests itself. At times the plot is a trifle contrived and Tom seems to be the recipient of just a few too many lucky breaks, but the overall storyline is gripping as well as containing many interesting historical details. Overall the novel is an insightful window onto the nature of racial conflict in southern Africa.

The Power of One Revisited (almost!), 08 Oct 2007
Whitethorn is in certain respects very similar to The Power of One, and in my view this is not a bad thing. It is about a young English Orphan growing up in in a South African Boer orphanage. The story has many parallels with the original work (there are boxing references, injustices caused by racial prejudice and good finally triumphing over evil). That said, I found the book totally engrossing and found it hard to put down. If you liked The Power of One you are bound to enjoy Whitethorn.

Sappy, sentimental tale in need of some strong editing, 23 Aug 2008
This best-selling novel is set in outback Australia during the early 20th Century. Jessica Bergman, the heroine of the book, is a tomboy who helps her father, a Danish immigrant, run the family farm. Meanwhile her elder sister, the beautiful but stuck-up Meg, dreams up plans, with the help of her mother, to wed the local rich boy.

When a brutal murder is carried out at a neighbouring farm, Jessica helps the killer survive a lynch mob hell bent on delivering their own form of justice. This one act of compassion has long-term implications for the rest of Jessica's life - and she is banished from her family, from society and, later, from her child, who is born out of wedlock.

Ultimately this is a relatively sappy and sentimental tale, albeit it an easy to read one. (I was trapped on a long-haul flight with it, and read pretty much the entire 676 pages on the plane.)

While it's supposedly based on a true story, Courtenay offers no explanations, no historical footnotes or afterword to back this up. I'm inclined to think that the murder and Jessica's role in its aftermath may, in fact, be the only true elements and Courtenay has fabricated the rest, which is fine, because it's fiction after all, but as a reader I would have liked to have known what was true and what was not.

That's not my only problem with Jessica. I found much of it sloppily written and in need of some strong editing. It's at least 300 pages too long.

The story meanders all over the place and goes off in unexpected tangents. I would not mind this if those tangents were neatly drawn together at the end, but they are not. Instead, it's like the author made things up as he went along - and no one, not even the editor he so generously thanks in his acknowledgements, bothers to pull him up on this.

The author also has a tendency to hector his readers with his own views (on the treatment of women, on the treatment of aboriginals) instead of letting the reader make up their own mind. I found this patronising and it irritated the hell out of me.

Some of the scenes are overworked and repetitive, much of the dialogue is false (including the colloquialisms, which grated) and the characterisation poor and based on stereotypes (the mother, for instance, is like the Wicked Witch of the West and Jessica may as well have been Cindarella).

All of this is a shame, because there's a brilliant novel in here just dying to get out. A second, possibly third, draft might have ironed out some of these problems.

All in all, Jessica has confirmed what I have thought all along: that this best-selling author is really not for me. Although, judging by his sales figures, I'm probably quite alone in this view. And if you look at the favourable reviews on this site I suspect I'll be lynched for giving this book just two stars. Oh well.


Excellent read !!!, 12 Jun 2008
I've read the Power of One, and Tandia, which were both excellent - amongst some of the best I have ever read... and this one I thought was a great read too.... Well worth the price!! Buy it today..

Fantastic, 26 Jun 2007
Bryce Courtenay can do no wrong. His books all make you feel like you are the main character in one of his tales, whether it is make believe or a true one. This is a wonderful and very moving story of a young girls struggles through life.

Wonderfully written tragedy, 04 Jun 2007
I thought Tandia was superb, and Brother Fish far too long. So, picked this up at charity shop with some sense of pessimism.
But, how wrong could I be! From the opening chapters, Courtenay's portrayal of lead Jessica, is stirring, emotive and engrossing. The story evokes such images of despair, lost love and tenderness.
A wonderful book that will leave you searching for a quiet moment to reflect.

A Brilliant Book., 18 Apr 2007
I don't really need to add too much here, as all the other reviews are correct. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I really couldn't put it down. I have also seen the DVD of the same name, it was also good, but I would recommend reading the book before being tempted to watch the DVD. Buy it!

Sylvia, 06 Jul 2008
Keeps you interested from the very beginning, with quite a few twists, gets a little laborious towards the end as it dwells on the same subject but I just love Bryce Courtenay books so what more can I say.

An incredidble sequel, 10 Jun 2008
I read 'the Power of One' and found that I couldn't get enough of the moving, emotional story and hearty african tone. Tandia is an even more, deep, powerful story of struggle and survival that shocks and entices the reader with every page. The theme of love is explored on a different level to the last book and the story allows an insight into a different side of life in Africa.
This is a must read for people who loved the first book and who are looking for that fulfilling end to Peekays story.

Strong Follow Up, 29 Feb 2008
Tandia (the follow up to The Power of One) arrived just in time for me to start reading it as soon as I had finished its predecessor ( a very, very good book by the way). I was a bit dubious about reading it to be honest (apart from the length I wondered whether it would be a weak cash in on the success of the first book) but I soon realised that once again Bryce Courtenay had created another compelling, very readable and challenging/disturbing work.

As the title suggests P.K. eventually becomes a supporting player and we see South Africa more and more through Tandia's eyes. The characters are once again strong and memorable and the threat of approaching tragedy is always looming making it a tenser read than its predecessor.

Although I have fonder memories of The Power of One this is a great novel and a more than worthy follow up.

A page-turner all the way:), 10 Mar 2006
I am very fussy when chosing a novel. I want something that draws me in right from the beginning, I want something where the sentences flow easily and I always want something that keeps me wanting to read more. A book that captures your imagination and makes you want to 'leave the housework' for much, much later so that you can read 'just one more' page is what I want and guys, THIS is that novel. As a young woman of mixed race myself, I really related to this novel and found the characters believable and really loveable. Read this novel, its everything you could ever ask for.

Juicy Fruit Mambo?, 23 Nov 2003
Normally I wouldn't bother writing reviews for stuff - there just isn't enough time in the day - but I've decided to make this an exception because the one review that has been written does it no justice whatsoever.

The Power of One is a great book (although the film, apart from Morgan Freeman, wasn't all that great). Tandia is far better.

Anybody who has read The Power of One will know that the hero of the book is a small, English, white boy nicknamed Peekay, (we never do find out his real name)living in South Africa. In Tandia, not only do we get to see Peekay as an adult, but we get a new heroine - Tandia.

Now of course, as you've probably guessed, there is going to be a bit of a love story in there. But it doesn't take over the whole story - it doesn't even start until towards the end of the book. The racism and injustice of South Africa is the main theme, but you still get a sense of how much the author loves the country, and is capable of seeing the good in it.

The greatest thing about Tandia is the characters; most are likeable, but all are flawed. Even our hero and heroine never descend into that mawkish 'too good to be true' territory. While Peekay is brave, stalwart and true (and good looking, which a hero should be if he can possibly help it) he is still naive and impractical. My own natural cynicism may add a little bias here, but just because you play by the rules, that is no reason to assume that everybody else will.

The names speak for themselves - brothel owner and former good time girl Mama Tequila, her equally corrupt and ruthless sister Madame Flame Flo, the German proffessor 'Doc', and a bodyguard and chauffeur going by the name of Juicy Fruit Mambo.

I should probably add a little parental guidance warning here - there is a hell of a lot of swearing, and one very graphic rape scene towards the beginning, but I can honestly say that I first read this when I was about 13 (though of course it has been re-read to the point where the gilt on the title has completely rubbed away - I now own a rather battered copy of 'ia') and any violence in the book is not gratuitous, but there for a reason. How else are we going to be able to grasp the cruelty, and pure capacity for evil that Geldenhuis possesses, if we are not subjected to this?

For me, the ending of a book is everything. If it ends badly, then it spoils the entire book for me (which is why, perhaps, I never read I Capture the Castle again), but this is one of the best endings I have ever read. It doesn't resolve everything, but the reader isn't left with that feeling that the book has been ended on a cliffhanger purely because the author was too lazy to think of a different one.

As you've probably guessed, I love this book to pieces, but if you are thinking of buying, I would recommend that you read The Power of One first, as not only is it a great book, but the storyline and the way that the characters develop will make a lot more sense.

Tandia-a review, 19 Nov 2003
Tandia is the sequel to the more well known story of Bryce Courtney, 'The Power of One'. It is a very gripping novel with lots of action, as well as finding out what became of Peekay after his accident in the mine shaft at the end of 'The Power of One'. It tells the story of Tandia, a half Indian and half black girl growing up in South Africa in the height of apartheid. Although in parts it is rather graphic, this only serves to emphasise the reality of the oppressive apartheid regime, and by the end of the novel you really feel that you know the characters well. I definately recommend this book.

Sylvia, 06 Jul 2008
Keeps you interested from the very beginning, with quite a few twists, gets a little laborious towards the end as it dwells on the same subject but I just love Bryce Courtenay books so what more can I say.

A fantastic read, 07 Nov 2007
This book is insightful, educational and emotional. I would thoroughly recommend it. It reminded me a little of 'Angla's Ashes' without the associated depression, and brings with it a good dollop of interesting facts about the flora and fauna of the Australian outback.

Another brilliant read from Courtenay, 07 Jul 2004
Seldom have I read a book where I cried, laughed out loud (on the train!), burned with anger and finished it actually shaking with emotion, but with a smile on my face - and I have read alot of books.

Courtenays latest novel centres on a poor Catholic family living in and coping with living in a small bush town in Austrailia during the 50's. As usual Courtenay has created vivid real characters. The book is told through the youngests boys - Moles - voice as he describes being a member of 'Maloney and sons - garbage' both the name of the family's rubbish collecting business and the towns attitude to the family. The alcoholic petty crim father, the out-spoken mother, boy boxer Bozo, single mum Sarah, Mike the secret embroiderer, Colleen and Mole all have lives hampered by poverty, snobbery and tragedy but blessed by joy and friendship.

Attention to detail and research brings to life both everyday life in rural Austrailia at the time but also brings to life vividly life in a pow camp in borneo, a soliders experience during and after fighting in vietnam, bush fire fighting and the atrocities that occurred during the holocaust as well as fighting for womens independence.

Courtenay, yet again, has exposed me to history in places where I have never thought of, wars that I have never wanted to imagine and cruelty that I have never wanted to believe could exist, but, has also given me the knowledge that through all these horrors humans can survive and hopefully learn.

Read it!!

gripping drama and a family life, 09 Nov 2003
This book centres around a poor lapsed Catholic family growing up in rural Victoria, Australia in the 1950's. Their lives are hard but they are a most adaptable family and survive mainly because the the strength of the mother of the family.

Her husband had been ruined by World War 2 being involved in the disgraceful Sandakan business in Borneo when the Japanese slaughtered so many British and Australian POW's taken there to build a runway. In real life, only 4 men survived this hell and they had all escaped. Courtenay describes all this in graphic and accurate detail.

So the father is a broken man with an intense alcohol problem. But he was also a man of the Bush as was his father and he has uncanny skills that he passes on to one son.

One of the highlights of the book is the way Courtenay describes a huge bushfire and its aftermath.

This is a warm, very human book full of tragedy, humour and achievement and what it means to battle. Whilst set in Australia in the 50's, it has a relevance to anyone who enjoys a good read. Those fans of Courtenay won't be disappointed.

777 Page Monster, 18 Feb 2003
If I wanted to be a complete hypocrite, I could make all kinds of catty observations about this book, pointing out the weaknesses in the plot, prose and character development, and ignoring the fact that I could barely put this 777 page monster down, reading it in less than three days and losing a lot of sleep in the process!

The book covers 40 years in the life of the Maloney family, garbage collectors extraordinaire, in small town Australia. The family are at the very bottom of the town's social order because of their occupation, their Irish catholic descent, mother Nancy's strong character and forthrightness, "father" Tommy's status as town drunk and criminal, but mostly because four of the five children are illegitimate and sired by different men. The story is told mostly from the point of view of Mole, the second youngest, who forms the closest relationship with Tommy through Mole's skills in the bush.

This is an ambitious book covering many themes, including womens' rights, environmental issues and attitudes to immigrants as well as some of Courtenay's old favourites such as boxing and the horrors of war. Each of these themes is covered in depth having been obviously well researched, the climax coming when when Tommy finally reveals his experiences as a POW in Malaya to 'son' Mole. I found this particularly vivid and moving, not to mention horrifying.

Other themes are illustrated in a more clumsy fashion, although the groundwork is usually well laid, at times it felt like "right, now we'll have three chapters on attitudes to women's rights in Australia, then we'll talk about the fashion business". This isn't helped by the fact that most of the central characters are such over-achievers in o