The first half of the book was difficult to put down. The young english orphan learns to survive in an orphanage wher all the rest, including the staff are Boers. He takes life as it comes,not wishing he were somewhere else or that his circumstances were different.
however the second half of the book, somehow seemed to collect all the notable events in Africa and put our hero amongst them, so he is found in the copper belt, in the Mau Mau emergency in kenya, etc. It ends with a major law lsuite whic of course he wins.

I was disappointed, but then maybe I did not go deep enough I do not know.

Another smash hit!!

First three chapters break my heart. I can’t help myself crying. This book gives me a glimpse of Africa. It is a land that I had known nothing before. And I hadn’t known that race war could be so complicated before I really it.

4.2*: This is moving, heart-breaking, funny and warm - all wrapped into one. Another great book by Courtenay. You can't but love Tom and his voice, as we watch him navigate and survive life in South Africa from the 1930's to the 1960's, a friendless, poor and lonely orphan, who endures racial hatred, prejudice and cruelty, all because of his English name. Set against apartheid and the sensitive political climate, the author introduces a wonderful cast of characters who influence Tom's life as he grows from a six year old to a young adult. Beware - this is very similar to The Power of One, not quite as good though !

Power cannot be trusted, it will always abuse. Courtenay, having been accused of being communist and exiled from South Africa as a young man, has written some of his experiences into the character of Tom Fitzsaxby, a clever child who we witness develop into a young man in a quest for justice. Along the way Fitzsaxby learns to pull himself up by the bootstraps time and again in a country which reinforces inferiority and is endemically racist. Urbanizing and moving into adulthood, Fitzsaxby learns about his own strengths and weaknesses through those around him, and while he discovers the truth about the lengths we'll go to in order to be loved, his greatest success is to somewhat resolve the issues of his childhood by using his fine mind. An exceptionally well-written story which tells yarns at length, this is clearly the book Courtenay wanted to write. The climax and denouement are understated. Courtenay finds the voices for a score of characters from different backgrounds and treated as they are from Fitzsaxby's perspective we find some of them unsympathetic; life is a nasty business in Courtenay's work, but marvelous when we learn to stand up for ourselves and overcome the prejudices in other people which trap us.

If you enjoyed the Power of One and Tandia then you'll probably enjoy this one too.
Courtney's ability to take you to another place and another time is incredible.
The story is told from the point of view or Tom, who, when the story begins, is 7 years old. I will admit that there were parts of this book, in the beginning, that I found mildly tiresome, because it was like listening to a young child tell a story. That back and forth and round and across that they do. But as the character matured the story flowed.
Similar to Power of One and Tandia, there are moments of pure heartbreak, and despite having my suspicions about several key elements of the story, I couldn't put it down! Give it a go.

It's been a while since I (re)read "The Power of One", but Whitethorn reminded me a lot of it in many ways. Lovely story telling and I enjoyed the "good" characters. So many very South African characters and turns of phrases. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoyed "The Power of One".

I was recommended Bryce Courtney by a friend at Readers Group and I'm so glad. I really enjoyed this book set in South Africa. It's a long saga of a struggle for justice but on the way takes in the politics and racism of colonial Africa. The book is narrated by Tom, an English named orphan in a rampantly Boer community, starting at the beginning of WW2 and on into the apartheid era. He is in a constant struggle for survival but has help and love along the way. He tells his story simply and often with the humour that comes from his innocence.
A must read for these increasingly racist times.

I drank this book up, as I have most other Bryce Courtney stories, and now feel quite bereft that I’ve finished it and these characters are no longer part of my day. Beautifully crafted, didn’t want this book to finish. I see many comments that it’s similar to Power of One - it did cross my mind a couple of times when reading, but it has been so many years since I read that novel that any similarities felt merely as echo. They certainly don’t spoil my enjoyment of this book.

Bryce Courtenay's books give me joy.
I really enjoy the way the story is told, the characters, the places and everything.
While reading this book i laughed, cried and felt empathy.
Here is one of the funniest parts;
“Can you imagine it? You arrive in heaven and there’s Mevrou in her white half-jack nightdress wearing wings sticking out the back. She’s holding a bunch of Gawie’s shit squares in one hand and a sjambok in the other. ‘So, we meet again, Voetsek. Drop your pants, touch your toes, we got Chinese angel’s writing for boys’ bums up here! Welcome to heaven, man!’ If heaven was full of such people I’d be better off just turning into rotten meat. But then I thought of Mattress being there, already waiting for me. Can you see how complicated things get in life?”

I have read a number of novels by Bryce Courtenay and they are all wonderful reads. Whitethorn is even more special and I’ve finished it now for my second time.

The development of the tone as young Tom grows up is such fun to read and helps the reader to be there in that age with him.

The ending of the book is where my emotions peak - in just those few sentences, when wife and son are there after the court case. The tears come and they don’t stop. A beautiful story told by a complex character as a boy turning into a man, and the people along the way who helped him.

Well worth a read, and a reread.

I'm a big fan of Bryce Courtenay's stories. They are full of warm and wonderful people. His descriptions of the land and settings almost puts me there. I would highly recommend many of his works.
But, his Africa books go beyond the storyline. They show the love this man has for his country, his deep understanding of its problems, beauty, flaws and the love he has for the people of Africa. It's this aspect that he brings to the story, without any blubbering or emotionalism, that pushes his Africa books onto a level of their own. This book is no exception. Throughout is Courtenay's deep understanding and love for Africa; his acceptance for the good, bad and ugly and his belief that the ugly can be changed for the better. Through him, I get a feel for the land and its people without ever having been there.
In the story of Tom Fitzsaxby, Courtenay examines Africa and the three groups of people who inhabit it (Africaaners, English, Native), the prejudices, cruelties, friendships and loyalties they share. The story in itself is a warm, and yet sometimes horrid, story of growing up in a land that labels one for the origins of one's birth, for the colour of one's skin. Yet despite these uglier aspects, the story is warm and interesting and, above all, hopeful for a future Africa that is strong and equal for all.
Courtenay loves his country and has high hopes that it will become the best that it can be. Through his hope, maybe we can look at our own countries and their Uglies and envision that with some understanding of underlying issues mankind can one day eliminate them all (the Uglies, that is).