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The Power of One

A Novel
By Bryce Courtenay
0.0 (0 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set against the backdrop of 1939 South Africa and the dawn of apartheid, The Power of One follows the life of Peekay, a boy who overcomes humiliation and abandonment through indomitable spirit and heroic dreams. His journey navigates tribal superstition and harsh prejudice, revealing the transformative power of words and the enduring strength of the individual.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5300

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers who appreciate inspiring stories of resilience and growth, and those interested in historical settings entwined with personal drama.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

In this magical novel, an irresistible boy tells the story of his survival and coming of age against the background of South Africa during and just after World War II.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Power of One has everything: suspense, the exotic, violence; mysticism, psychology and magic; schoolboy adventures, drama.

–The New York Times

Unabashedly uplifting... asserts forcefully what all of us would like to believe: that the individual, armed with the spirit of independence—'the power of one'—can prevail.

–Cleveland Plain Dealer

In 1939, as Hitler casts his enormous, cruel shadow across the world, the seeds of apartheid take root in South Africa. There, a boy called Peekay is born. His childhood is marked by humiliation and abandonment, yet he vows to survive and conceives heroic dreams—which are nothing compared to what life actually has in store for him. He embarks on an epic journey through a land of tribal superstition and modern prejudice where he will learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the power of one.

Totally engrossing... [presents] the metamorphosis of a most remarkable young man and the almost spiritual influence he has on others... Peekay has both humour and a refreshingly earthy touch, and his adventures, at times, are hair-raising in their suspense.

–Los Angeles Times Book Review

Marvelous... It is the people of the sun-baked plains of Africa who tug at the heartstrings in this book... [Bryce] Courtenay draws them all with a fierce and violent love.

–The Washington Post Book World

Impressive.

–Newsday

A compelling tale.

–The Christian Science Monitor

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780345410054

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 September 1996

Country: United States

Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 208.0mm

Weight: 420g

Pages: 544

Collections

Bryce Courtenay Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Bryce Courtenay was born in South Africa, is an Australian, and has
lived in Sydney for the major part of his life. Visit him on the web at www.brycecourtenay.com.

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