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Recommendations based on The Potato Factoryby Bryce Courtenay
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The Power of One
by Bryce Courtenay
A young man's journey of self-discovery, overcoming the odds and finding strength in adversity.
The Power of One follows an English-speaking South African boy named Peekay from 1939 to 1951. The story begins when Peekay's mother has a nervous breakdown, and Peekay ends up being raised by a Zulu ... (Wikipedia)
Tandia
by Bryce Courtenay
A young black girl in apartheid South Africa fights against oppression and racism to achieve her dreams.
Tandia, whose parents were a South African Indian man (Mr. Patel) and his house worker (a black woman), is raped by a police officer at her father's grave the day after his funeral. With Mr. Patel's ... (Wikipedia)
When the Lion Feeds
by Wilbur Smith
Epic adventure of two brothers in the African wilderness, facing danger and learning life lessons.
The novel begins in Natal in the 1870s, with the introduction of twin brothers Sean and Garrick, the sons of ranch owner Waite Courtney. After one of Sean's hunting accidents results in Garrick ... (Wikipedia)
Dirt Music
by Tim Winton
A story of redemption, of two people struggling to find hope and love in a harsh, unforgiving environment.
Georgie, the heroine of the book, becomes fascinated while watching a stranger attempting to poach fish in an area where nobody can maintain secrets for very long; disillusioned with her relationship ... (Wikipedia)
The Bronze Horseman
by Paullina Simons
A sweeping epic romance set in Stalinist Russia, exploring the power of love amidst tragedy.
Librarian note: alternate covers for this edition can be found, here, and, here, and, here,. During the summer of 1941 the Metanov family are living a hard life in Leningrad. As the German armies ... (Goodreads)
The Light Between Oceans
by M.L. Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife make a heartbreaking decision that has lifelong repercussions.
Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found, here, Australia, 1926. After four harrowing years fighting on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns home to take a job as the lighthouse ... (Goodreads)
River God
by Wilbur Smith
An epic tale of the rise and fall of a powerful ancient Egyptian kingdom.
River God follows the fate of the Egyptian Kingdom through the eyes of Taita, a multi-talented and highly skilled eunuch slave. Taita is owned by Lord Intef and primarily looks after his daughter, ... (Wikipedia)
Birds of Prey
by Wilbur Smith
A thrilling adventure of a young woman's quest for revenge against those who wronged her. Set in the African wilderness.
In 1667 Holland is at war with England . Sir Francis Courteney and his son Hal attack ships of the Dutch East India Company off the coast of Africa. They are betrayed and Sir Francis is executed. Hal ... (Wikipedia)
Two Brothers
by Ben Elton
Two brothers grow up in Nazi Germany, one becomes a soldier, the other a Jew. Their paths cross in unexpected ways.
Two Brothers is a heartrending story of two boys growing up under the darkening shadow of the Nazis. Born in Berlin in 1920 and raised by the same parents, one boy is Jewish, his adopted brother is ... (Goodreads)
Dominion
by C.J. Sansom
Historical mystery set in 15th century England, exploring themes of power, loyalty and redemption.
1952. Twelve years have passed since Churchill lost to the appeasers, and Britain surrendered to Nazi Germany after Dunkirk. As the long German war against Russia rages on in the east, the British ... (Goodreads)
Light a Penny Candle
by Maeve Binchy
A story of two Irish girls and their intertwined paths of friendship, love and life.
London was a dangerous place to live during World War II, and many children were evacuated to Ireland or the United States . Elizabeth White, an only child, is sent to live with her mother's ... (Wikipedia)
Burial Rites
by Hannah Kent
A woman awaits her execution in 19th-century Iceland, reliving her story of hardship, loss and faith.
Burial Rites tells the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, a servant in northern Iceland who was condemned to death after the murder of two men, one of whom was her employer, and became the last woman put ... (Wikipedia)
Scarlet Feather
by Maeve Binchy
Two friends start a catering business in Dublin, facing challenges and personal struggles along the way.
Set in contemporary Ireland, filled with warmth, wit, and drama, Scarlet Feather is the story of Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather, their spouses, families, and friends, and the struggling new catering ... (Goodreads)
Seven Deadly Wonders
by Matthew Reilly
An international team embarks on an adventure to unlock the mysteries of a legendary and powerful ancient artifact.
Around 4,500 years ago, the capstone upon the summit of the Great Pyramid of Giza absorbed the energy released by the Tartarus Rotation (a monstrous sunspot that occurs every 4,000–4,500 years), and ... (Wikipedia)
The Tea Rose
by Jennifer Donnelly
A young woman in Victorian London overcomes poverty and tragedy to build a successful tea business and find love.
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright ... (Goodreads)
A Quiver Full of Arrows
by Jeffrey Archer
A masterful collection of short stories, weaving together the lives of its characters.
Ordinary Heros, Extraordinary Deeds The bestselling author of Kane & Abel, The Prodigal Daughter and Honor Among Theives once again astonishes, delights, and electrifies his legions of fans. From ... (Goodreads)
Winter of the World
by Ken Follett
Epic saga of war, family, and love during the tumultuous times of the 20th century.
The story follows characters from Germany , Britain , the United States and the Soviet Union , who become linked by events leading to World War II , and continues through the war and its immediate ... (Wikipedia)
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
by Douglas Adams
A comedic tale of a man's journey through the universe, encountering aliens and coming to terms with his own identity.
While hitchhiking through the galaxy, Arthur Dent is dropped off on a planet in a rainstorm. He appears to be in England on Earth, even though he saw the planet destroyed by the Vogons . He has been ... (Wikipedia)
Fall of Giants
by Ken Follett
Epic historical fiction recounting the tumultuous events of World War I and its aftermath.
The novel begins with the thirteen-year-old Billy Williams, nicknamed 'Billy With Jesus', going to work his first day in the coal mine underneath the fictional Welsh town of Aberowen in 1911. Three ... (Wikipedia)
The Client
by John Grisham
A young boy is thrust into a legal battle, as he tries to protect himself and his family.
Boyd Boyette, a United States Senator from Louisiana, goes missing. Because of his vocal opposition to a proposed major toxic landfill project by a company known to be Mafia-backed, murder is ... (Wikipedia)
The House at Riverton
by Kate Morton
A family saga spanning generations, uncovering secrets and lies of a mysterious house.
Ninety-eight-year-old Grace Bradley, a maid at Riverton Manor in the 1920s, has long hidden a terrible secret. A film is being made about a famous incident at Riverton when well-known poet Robbie ... (Wikipedia)
The Thorn Birds
by Colleen McCullough
A powerful tale of forbidden love, set in rural Australia in the early 20th century.
The story begins in New Zealand on 8 December 1915, the fourth birthday of Meghann "Meggie" Cleary who is the only daughter of Padriac ("Paddy"), an Irish farm labourer, and Fiona ("Fee"), his wife. ... (Wikipedia)
The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy
A moving story of two siblings growing up in India, exploring love, politics, and class.
The year is 1969. In the state of Kerala, on the southernmost tip of India, a skyblue Plymouth with chrome tailfins is stranded on the highway amid a Marxist workers' demonstration. Inside the car ... (Goodreads)
Worth Dying For
by Lee Child
An ex-military cop confronts a dangerous drug cartel while trying to rescue a kidnapped child.
Following the events of, 61 Hours, , Jack Reacher is on his way to Virginia to meet Maj. Susan Turner, the current commanding officer of his old unit, the 110th Military Police Squadron. En route, he ... (Wikipedia)
Life, the Universe and Everything
by Douglas Adams
An intergalactic quest to find the answer to the ultimate question of life.
After being stranded on pre-historic Earth after the events in, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, , Arthur Dent is met by his old friend Ford Prefect , who drags him into a space-time eddy , ... (Wikipedia)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
by Edward Albee
A darkly comedic exploration of a troubled couple's tumultuous marriage.
George and Martha engage in dangerous emotional games. George is an associate professor of history and Martha is the daughter of the president of the college where George teaches. After they return ... (Wikipedia)
The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton
A complex mystery set in New Zealand's gold rush era, as a web of secrets and lies unravels.
The story begins with one of the book's protagonists, Walter Moody, arriving in the smoking room of the Crown Hotel after having encountered a horrific sight on his boat trip to Hokitika . There, he ... (Wikipedia)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
by Richard Flanagan
A man's journey to reconcile his past and make sense of his actions during the Japanese occupation of Burma.
Dorrigo Evans has found fame and public recognition as a war veteran in old age, but inwardly he is plagued by his own shortcomings and considers his numerous accolades to be a “failure of perception ... (Wikipedia)
Alias Grace
by Margaret Atwood
A psychological thriller that examines the true story of a 19th century Canadian murderess.
Grace Marks, the convicted murderess, has been hired out from prison to serve as a domestic servant in the home of the Governor of the penitentiary. A Committee of gentlemen and ladies from the ... (Wikipedia)
The Dry
by Jane Harper
A small town in rural Australia is rocked by a murder, leading a local detective to uncover secrets and lies.
A small town hides big secrets in this atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper. In the grip of the worst drought in a century, the farming community of Kiewarra is ... (Goodreads)
