a very old, tattered ex-library paperback, good for a few more reads only, I'd say!

Released on Monday, January 12, 2004 at laundromat, Honeypot Rd in Adelaide, South Australia Australia.

in the laundromat

used to belong to mitcham library. hope they are not missing it. bit tatty.

will read and/or distribute. see how time and the book pile goes

Released on Thursday, January 22, 2004 at Postal Release in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Controlled Releases.

I was wandering through the forum one night..........possibly a dangerous thing to do but that is another story........ and found that catsnsnow was interested in Bryce Courtenay. He being Australian and catsnsnow being in Canada his books are a bit harder to come by than here (OZ). Hence this postal release. Go Book.

Part of a release with an Australia Day theme

Wow it's here already! Thank you newk, I will read and journal again asap!

I finally finished this great book! Although I now realise that I should have read The Power of One first, I think I will be able to go back after a little time and read and enjoy it!
Tandia gave me an insight into the realities of South Africa's old apartheid system in a way that I had not appreciated before. It was not always easy to read about, consequently I took longer than I usually do to finish a book of this size (899 pages)!

Sending to Freesia in the UK as soon as I get the address.
I didn't want to just send it out into the wild, but I think it will survive another ocean crossing!

Released on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 at controlled release in Calgary, Alberta Canada.

On the way to Freesia in the UK

Wow, thanks, catsnsnow - and I love your bookmark! I've dived into this already - Courtenay has a really compelling style and carries you through a long book. I found The Power of One very inspiring and this follows some of the same characters, but in a much more complex world. This really makes me grateful to be born into a country with a bit more equality of opportunity. Can't wait to finish it!

This is a big read, very involved, frequently upsetting and leaves you thinking long after you put it down. It continues the sotry of boxer Peekay as he aims for the world title and becomes a lawyer, attempting to defend justice in South Africa. Interwoven is the story of Tandia Patel, a "coloured" girl whose life is constantly threatened by a vindictive policeman. There's much more to it than this very brief summary though...

The book describes the many different cultures and mores coexisting with difficulty in 50s and 60s South Africa, when everyone lived in a climate of constant hatred and fear. It goes some way towards explaining the difficult legacy now being played out there. I often found myself admiring the characters who survived: I think if I were in that situation I would have tried to leave the country much sooner, rather than staying to fight injustice at such a high personal cost.

If there's anyone out there who has enjoyed melodramas, the Catherine Cookson type long family sagas with heroines living in grim misery facing shocking tribulations, I'd say, think about trying this.

Gave to a friend - I hope you get into this one: it's one of those big reads, like Gone with the Wind, that can be totally involving.