Bryce Courtenay Books

I gotta say one thing; WELL DONE BRYCE!!!! first, i didn't cry; i'm not real sentimental, but i was very touched and i think that damon was a man of steel; going through 24 years of pain and suffering. i wanted to cry when damon's friends came over. well done, courtenays.

This book affected me so deeply and has stayed with me since I first read it years ago. Having lost a loved one to AIDS I could relate to Bryce Courtenay's pain and I could feel the anger and passion he felt writing this book. Through Bryce's amazing talent for telling a story I felt I really knew Damon and his family. When I got to the last page I let out a deep sigh and cried for Damon, for my own loved one and for everyone affected by AIDS. I thank Bryce for having the courage to write this important book and for sharing Damon's life with us all.

I've read several of Bryce Courtenay's books and every one is a gem. I'm only disappointed that his books are not published in The United States and not readily available in our local bookstores.

I highly recommend this book to everyone and I know you'll be hooked on Bryce forever afterward.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY was the hardest book Bryce Courtenay ever wrote, and it's also one of the hardest books I ever read. I started it (the first time) on a Friday evening and did nothing but read (and occasionally try to sleep) until I had finished it -- I couldn't imagine stepping out of the middle of the story into my own life. I've read this book, given it away, bought it again, several times: it's not a book you can forget.

Courtenay's son Damon was born in Australia with severe haemophilia. Along with the moving story of an afflicted but strong-spirited boy, Courtenay paints a bitter and angry picture of the Australian medical community at that time, steeped in paternalism and political expediency.

Several times a week Damon would bleed into his joints, and his father would take him to the hospital for infusion of Factor VIII to induce clotting. In other countries families were allowed to stock Factor VIII and infuse at home, minimizing both disruption to the family and permanent damage to joints. This was not permitted in Australia, to the extreme detriment of haemophiliacs and their families.

Worse than this, the screening and fractionation of donated blood in Australia did not at that time meet safety standards known and required in other countries. Damon contracted AIDS from the contaminated Australian blood supply and died of that disease on April Fool's Day in 1991.

The book is saturated with the author's bitterness, and the reader can't fail to walk his angry path with him. You WANT it to have been different, you WANT to find a justification or at least an exculpation for the medical mismanagement of Damon and the entire cohort of haemophiliacs in that time and place.

You'll find a celebration of Damon's spirit and his family's faithful support. You'll find love that fights tooth and nail for Damon. But you won't find forgiveness or exoneration, and if you're like me you'll think you should, and keep reading the book again looking for it -- in yourself if not in the author.

Courtenay's work (THE POWER OF ONE, TANDIA, WHITETHORN, etc) appears not to be well known in the United States, although he's highly regarded in his birth county (South Africa) and adopted country (Australia). APRIL FOOL'S DAY should be more widely known. It's a challenging read with a personal message the reader has to translate and tease apart. Read it for that challenge.

I am a fan of Bryce Courtenay, and have read all his books. This one tells the true story of his last son, Damon, who was born with haemophilia and went through a very hard life, still one full of love and joy. I found myself crying for what happened to Damon, from the purple head episode in hospital to the AIDS he caught during a blood transfusion. And I do completely agree with what Damon said, whatever your problem is, HEALTH is a gift, the most precious one we possess, together with LOVE. The book is about love against the odds, the prejudice, the injustice of a health and political system in Australia in the 1980s; it is full of details and vivid images, and I can imagine how hard it was for the author to write about his own experience, and the suffering in trying to explain in a clear way what exactly happened to him and his family those days. Everyone who has been through a quite serious illness will love this book, as I did. Thanks, Bryce.

I bought this book when we lived in Australia from 1993/1994. I have since read the book over and over again and have lent it to family and friends under the strict mandate that they must return it to me upon completion. This is the most moving book I have ever read and it will be one that I will keep forever. I cried, I laughed, I cheered and I was inspired by Damon's courage and determination to not only live a normal life but to overcome the stigma associated with HIV/AIDs. Bryce Courtney has written a beautiful testimonally to his son's life. I hope every parent loves their child as much as the Courtney's did to not only let him live his life but to also allow him to die with dignity. His girlfriend, Celeste, was also amazing. How many of us could stand by our significant others knowing what she did about the ultimate outcome.

This book is a must read on everyone's list, I am only sorry that it is out of print.

I'm writing this in the midst of California wild fire season (and, seriously, I only have to walk outside to smell the smoke) to recommend the most AMAZING novel I've read in months.

I can't say enough about how wonderful this book is. It's the story of a family in Australia who are at the very bottom of the social ladder (they are garbage collectors, and the dad is usually in jail) struggling to find a place in the world. The narrator is the youngest son (Mole Maloney), who, like his father and grandfather, becomes one of the most gifted bush firefighters in his region. He accompanies a slew of wonderful family members and close friends as he tells the story of his familly's adventures through the years between WWII and the Viet Nam war.

Each member of the Maloney family is a fabulous, admirable character. By the end of the book you just want to erect a monument to all of them. It's wonderfully moving, and quintessentially Australian. I can't rave about it enough. I cried multiple times when reading this book. It's just fantastic.

Bryce Courtenay's other novels are equally great, if you haven't read them.

Bryce Courtenay is such a great writer! I love the Australian history and the power of love Bryce often writes about. I wish he could write faster!

This book is a narration by Mole, an Irish Catholic kid whose mother is of such loose moral character that she has had 4 different children from 4 different men. BUT she does go to Church on Sunday which I guess is Mr. Courtenay's way of telling the reader that she is not a slut after all. Mole's father (or his stepfather I think) is what Australians refer to as a "Bludger Piss Artist' which means he doesn't work and spends most of his time in Prison or drinking.However every time there is a bush fire Tommy becomes the local Fire Fighting Hero and then EVERYBODY wants to buy him a drink at the Pub so he does have his 15 minutes of fame. Mole's sister has inherited her Mother's loose moral character and wants to go to University when she is pregnant. Maybe she wanted to study hard and discover JUST WHO the father of her unborn child was. This is a very disappointing effort from a writer who has produced better works than this which is why I give this book 5 stars.

Bryce Courtenay is a writer whose characters stay with you long after you have finished his books. I have not enjoyed an author as much since Ferrol Sams.

This has become one of my favourite books. It is more than just the story of a poor family. It shows us the prejudices that live inside even the most honourable of people. It shows that strength of character and doing what is right can be the biggest challenge of all. These characters face incredible obstacles and get help from where they least expect it and turned away by people who should help them. It allows you a glimpse of the complex inner workings of a society as experienced by the characters. Ranks right up there with Bryce Courtneay's "Power of One". Excellent read! I couldn't put it down and I was sad when it was over.

Brother Fish

I am becoming quite a big Bryce Courtenay fan. I read "The Power of One" several years ago and as many of his other books as I can get my hands on since then. I have just completed "Brother Fish" and am again amazed by Courtenay's ability to create such real characters, fascinating plots, and to take me to so many interesting places. His characters are people that I would like to meet and at the same time I feel that I know. While I am not generally a war story reader I was drawn into the narrative by Courtenay's story telling ability. I could hardly put the book down.

I loved this book. My favorite book of all time is "The Power Of One", and Brother Fish comes a very very close second! Byrce Courtenay has incredible flashes of brilliance in his writing. Can't wait for the next book!

Courtenay tells a terrific story here about the Korean War, POW
camps and life as a veteran in Australia. I really did not want to
put it down and found myself anxious to get back to it to find
out "what happens next".

i'm not one to like reading war stories but this is special. so easy to read and would appeal to anyone. very gripping plot. gives powerful look into the korean war and pow camps. among other sub-plots, it exposes racism in the USA and Australia during the 1940s and 50s. set in new york, usa and tasmania, australia. the 2 major characters, an american negro orphan and a poor white australian, are very likeable, even their faults. a big part is also set in shanghai, china during the 1920s and 30s. i found it as good as the "power of one" also from bryce courtenay. he's a marvelous writer.

The moment I layed my hands on the book, I simply could not put it down. Dr. Cole's book had most of the answers to many of my unanswered questions. It is more then a mission of love, it is a mission to help you rediscover your inner being and yourself.

A delightfully honest story of a physician's internal struggle with the true purpose of his work in Paliative Care. From the treatment of patients using drugs to help with the physical pain of dying to the management of people and the assistance to die filled with peace and love, Dr Cole emerges as a angel of healing the soul prior to the physical death. This book took me to a very beautiful place where caring is love and death is peaceful.

No book has ever moved me spritually and brought a greater realizarion of how fragile live is and how little time we have left to love and do the right thing for not only our love ones but also frineds and strangers alike.

This book is a personal account of working with terminally ill patients. A job that most people, even in the medical profession,find hard.It is also a spiritual journey, of the patients and for Dr. Roger Cole himself. It has many personal accounts, from the patients, their families, from Roger himself that will awaken feelings often hidden or repressed through past experience, fear and lack a knowledge. The book opens up the subects that people find hard to talk about as they face terminal illnesses. Roger Cole is the doctor in the Bryce Courtney best seller "April Fool's Day" that helped Damion, Bryce's son in the final weeks of his life. In fact it was Damion that said Roger's job was " A Mission of Love"

Wonderful story. I had become somewhat disillusioned with Bryce Courtenay over the past few years. Brother Fish, Whitethorn and Sylvia were all average reads. For this reason, I hesitated in buying 'The Persimmon Tree'. I was seduced by the cover however, and luckily so. The Persimmon Tree is as fine a novel as 'The Power of One'. It combines history, evocative surroundings and an engaging storyline. It was also quite unique aside from the heroine's 'violet eyes' which were reminiscent of Memoirs of a Geisha!
For both the literary snob and the average reader, I think this book will provide satisfaction.

PURE BRYCE COURTENAY. ANOTHER EPIC ABOUT THE STRUGGLES OF LIFE AND THE WILL TO PERSEVERE AND NEVER GIVE UP. IF YOU'VE READ THE POWER OF ONE, YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK. COURTENAY SHOULD BE BETTER KNOWN IN THE GOOD OLD USA

Amazon.com sent the "Young Readers Edition" and I have returned it. I am waiting for the "Library Edition" and then I will be able to review for you. I have read the Library Edition and it was so wonderful I ordered a copy for my self to share with others. It is one of the best books on tape I have ever read. Very Powerful.

Like the Kite Runner, this is a great come "full circle" book. Hard to put down. You will not be disappointed.

When Thommo returns to Australia from a tour of duty in the Vietnam War, he finds his fellow Aussies hold him in contempt as a mercenary who committed war crimes. Developing all manner of physical and mental problems, Thommo thinks he's alone in his problems until he meets ten of his former comrades from his platoon who fought alongside of him in the Battle of Long Tan where many other fell to their deaths under enemy fire. These ten other survivors are suffering the same emotional and adjustment problems Thommo has. Recruiting an ex-Viet Cong with "special skills", Thommo forms his battlefield comrades into group of guys who are so dysfunctional they couldn't win any kind of contest. Not until they meet Wendy, a woman whose daughter is dying and needs a bone-marrow transplant. A determined woman, Wendy takes Thommo and the others in hand and molds this bunch of burned-out and disheartened former soldiers into a unit willing to fight for justice by any means necessary. Bryce Courtenay is a consummately skilled writer whose riveting novel is expertly narrated by Humphrey Bower. Complete and unabridged, and with a running time of five hours, this 5 disc, highly recommended CD edition of Smoky Joe's Cafe is also available in an audio cassette format.

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.