Whitethorn

Far too similar to The Power of One. It's got:
1)The lone English boy amonst the Afrikaners
2)Schoolboy boxing
3)Turning out to be some sort of child genius
4)Becoming a lawyer
5)Avenging a black friend
6)The same period setting
Beyond that I'd be giving too much plot away but it has lots of even more specific similarities!

All in all it's a poor re-hash of PK's story from The Power of One and Tandia. I'm surprised Bryce Courtenay's publishers let him go ahead with this one. About the only redeeming feature I thought was that it was a lot more fair on the Afrikaners and didn't demonise them all.

Another brilliantly presented and researched story of South Africa from WW2 through to early 70's. Issues of child abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, racial disenfranchisement and the issues of Africaan and English battles for the rights to own and run the land and society.

Though I do love this book as a stand-alone, it's similarities to the Power of One make it confusing. Tells a similar story of a rite of passage and discovery of self, triumph over circumstances.

I preffered this book to the Power of One, though it is revisiting the same story line in a similar style, with Courtenay as a much more practiced author.

I enjoyed this book, that follows the life of a young South African orphan as he struggles to find his place in South African society. He is also seeking justice for a friend who was murdered. I felt the book dragged in parts but overall it was a good read.

Get past the gory bits and you've got a page turner. An English child suffers abuse in and Africanners "boys' farm" for orphans. His search for justice for the black pig-boy who befriends him.

Nostalgic.

Coming-of-age