PK is an English boy growing up in South Africa. Sent to a Boer boarding school prior to the outbreak of the Second World War he experiences the injustice of persecution and prejudice in many forms. At school he is bullied mercilessly both by an insensitive matron and a brutal pro-Nazi elder boy, known as the Judge. Later his German mentor will also suffer imprisonment purely because of his race, but the worst suffering of all he will witness is that of the black Africans during the time of Apartheid. However, even at early age PK discovers strength around him and within him. A clever boxer teaches him that small can overcome big and that the passion and ...  Read the complete review

I finished The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay a few weeks ago, and have been debating whether or not to write a review on it because I am really not sure whether I can do it justice. It is one of the best books I have ever read - a treasure that you pick up and don't want to put down. But, at the same time, with every page you read you are aware that you are getting closer and closer to the end - which brings with it the disappointment that the days of reading it are numbered. The Power of One is the story of a young boy growing up in South Africa, his early years set against the backdrop of the Second World War. The story starts when he is five years ...  Read the complete review

An excellent read, I found this book by accident, and never having heard of Bryce Courtney I would not have read it if my sister hadn't raved about it. The story begins with a young white boy in South Africa in one of the wars (ww2 I think) whose mother has a mental break down, black nanny sent away and the boy being sent to boarding school. It is here where the drive in his life takes hold, here at boarding school he suffers horrific bullying which continues until he returns home. A train journey which stops of and a boxing fight happens which begins for PeeKay a career which drives him through his life until he faces his tormenter from ...  Read the complete review

~~ The Author~~ Bryce Courtenay is a prolific Australian writer who has been writing books for just a few years considering his age. He is now nearly 80 and didn't write his first book until he was 55. I believe Bryce Couurtenay writes from the heart and it was possibly his rough childhood and upbringing that has given him a good grounding to write in this way. His last book was published in 2010. ~~ The Book~~ The Power of One was published in 2006. This was the first Bryce Courtenay book I have read and the story has remained with me since. Many people say they remember where they were when a celebrity died or when a natural or other ...  Read the complete review

this story is such an interesting one. i was only doing a research paper on one country and read a historical fiction book and my history teacher suggested to read this book. i didnt really know what was the story about but when i first started reading it, i couldn't stop. this story is such a page-turner for every moment is so surprising. also, i heard that this story is based on bryce courtenay's life itself. and if you want, you could read the sequel to it called, "TANDIA" i'm pretty sure that it's about Bryce and his love story that he went through with his wife. The "Power of One"...why did it have to end? when i got to the last page of this ...  Read the complete review