Tandia

It is very rare I give a five star rating as I always think it gives a little wiggle room and something for an author to strive for, however I found this novel as a follow on/ sequel to The Power of one filled all of my requisites. It continued the story of The power of one in a way that was totally unexpected but enthralling also. The pages and chapters just flew by and had I been on a long flight I would have read it continuously.It brought to my attention the situation knowledge I had been lacking re the time towards the end of Apartheid in South Africa. I will not try to describe the events here as they are more than adequately explained in the book. It also leads the reader into a voyage of discovery that explains more than one side of a situation whereas in my experience the explanation of the apartheid situation in SA was very one sided.I was a little surprised at the end as I thought there could have been another book to make it a trilogy.However although not detracting from the plot in any way at all there were several characters who seem to be a fixed part of Bryce Courtney's stories this including in the three books I have read by him there is a childhood friend or college friend who is Jewish and they go on to be partners in legal business.In all a very good read very easy to read good story line and difficult to put down.After reading these two books I went on to read another of his books (Danny Dun) just as enthralling I am sure I will read Tandia again as well as Danny Dun, Have already read The Power Of One twiceI found it quite hard to Believe the author was Australian and Nt from SA as he seems to have a great in depth knowledge of events.

The minute I got this book I opened it and never stopped reading till I was done. The first book The Power Of One has remained my favorite book out of hundreds read. I had no idea there was a sequel until by chance I looked it up here (more than 10 years later!) and saw that there were many written by Bryce Courtenay, I plan on getting them all. His books are not sold in the US.Tandia picked up where The Power Of One left off, first introducing us to Tandia and her heartbreaking story and the many people that are in her life. We then catch up with Peekay and he intertwines with Tandias' life. The characters are so richly written, you feel as though you can hear them and see them, it makes for very rewarding reading. The history of South Africa is a tragic story but we see that the human spirit rises above and survives. Read these two books, see the movie The Power Of One, you will not forget it once you have.

This is the sequel to Courtenay's first novel The Power of One. With most sequels it's not necessary to read the first book. In this case, it's my opinion The Power of One should be read first. There's more impact and understanding of the characters that will carry over into Tandia and it makes it easier for the reader to transition from book to book. Tandia is not for the feint-hearted. I learned more than I ever wanted to learn about brothels but never the less it was interesting. The history lesson about Apartheid in South Africa was incredible. The brutality was heartbreaking and so was the ending. Great read!!!

I liked this book quite a bit, and I thought it was a thoughtful, if somewhat trite, conclusion to P.K.'s story. The reprised roles of all the characters and the addition of Tandia made this book a very fun read (I actually listened to most of it with the whispersinc function as I had already fallen in love with Humphrey Bower while listening to the Power of One).I would definitely recommend this book, though after reading the Power of One for context, of course. I almost wanted to give it 4 stars, but I did in fact love this book so 5 it is!I would say that these two books provide a great introduction into South African culture and offer a unique perspective to those who are interested in world affairs.

Bryce Courtenay has the gift to understand and put into writing a culture that has been much in the news the last fifty years. He portrays the "apartheid" situation in South Africa very well but dwells primarily on the view from the native Africans and barely touches the view of the whiteswho had lived there for hundreds of years. I say this not to condone the white attitude but perhaps Courtenay could have been a little more understanding of the white attitude. Regardless, Courtenay does an excellent job of developing characters and describing their situations.. I have read a lot of his books and always put it difficult to put down his book once I start reading it. If you know little about Apartheid in South Africa read this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the sequel to "The Power of One". Both are realistic and gripping stories of the cruelty of segregation in South Africa in past years. The characters are deeply portrayed. It is a great book to learn the history and the consequences of white supremacy. The raw emotions of both blacks and whites are very well written. Blacks and mixed race people become real people that the reader comes to care about. This book can be read as a stand alone but I think you get more out of it if you read "The Power of One" first. We all originated out of Africa and the concept of race as making someone different is certainly challenged.

I have rarely been so engrossed in a book, and so consumed by the plight of its characters. I'm afraid I am another 'Power of One' fan. Inasmuch, I really wanted to follow up on what happened to Peekay. Reading 'Power of One' as a youngster had a profound impact on me and the person I wanted to become.The book Tandia is a more mature and realistic response to the Power of One. Courtenay deals with similar issues like racism, injustice and courage, but this time we see it more from the receiving end. The book has a much darker slant than its prequel, which is refreshing in some ways; as the prequel was at times too good to be true.I would like to say that I do find Courtenay's portrayal of the Afrikaner as a little unfair at times, as he makes them out to be a either stupid, racist or cowardly. Which, I suppose, you could defend in light of the conditions and way of life people endured under the real Apartheid.There are moments of real joy, laughter, heartache and profound anger in store for the reader, more so than any other book I know, and on that basis I urge you to read it. While I hold the Power of One as Courtenay's best, this is an excellent second.

When I ordered this book I looked carefully at the write up and it said that it was in excellent condition with no markings on any of the pages. The second page I came to had the words "To Mummy 25.12.00. Happy Christmas, love from Mark. I am disgusted with this. I wanted it for a present for a friend, that is why I was looking for a book in very good condition and I don't call this book in good condition. It looks like the writing is in pencil but I can't rub it out. Not happy.

Was so taken with 'The Power of One' that I bought this sequel. I wasn't disappointed. It completes the story of Peekay and introduces some new characters. As always with Bryce's books the characters are larger than life. I found this book unputdownable and finished it within a week despite its size (don't be put off by 900+ pages, you'll be wishing it had have been even more by the time you reach the end).

Such a strong story, difficult to put down, my favourite book by far! I'm willing for Peekay to make a change, but aware at the time this was written, it had still not happened. This story is inspirational and makes the reader want to contribute; to help those less fortunate and give everyone a voice. An absolute masterpiece!

I enjoyed The Power of One enough to buy Tandia but it was not what I expected as I found it far-fetched, overblown and over-romanticised with sloppy chronology even from page to page, lacking editing and proof-reading. A shame