2nd book after the potato factory. Taking place in Australia and just as good a story as the first one.

This one is at the top of the list. What a fabulous book and I highly recommend it be read by everyone!!

my favorite book after Jessica

Excellent addition to the Potato Factory saga richly portraying life in early Hobart Town with Tommo and Hawk's early life with Mary Abacus.
The boys are separated and spend seven years apart before being reunited once more.
They leave Hobart and become members of the crew of a whaling vessel out of Nantucket captained by a Quaker who imposes severe draconian conditions aboard his ship.
The boys befriend an Aboriginal and several Maori crew members.
They eventually end up in Kororareka, the Hellhole of the Pacific, and find themselves on some fairly serious charges.
The Maori they have befriended manage to break them both oft of gaol and take them to their tribe where they both eventually become rangatira.
The book covers the first Maori war in the Taranaki and the making of the very first Maori king.
After battling the government forces in a number of battles the two boys manage to return to Australia, but this time to Sydney.
The story covers the the anti-Chinese riots on the Burrangong goldfield at Lambing Flat and the early days of Sydney's Chinatown.
As with all Bryce Courtenay's books this one is extremely well written and very well researched, plus it is a joy to read and catch up with characters from earlier books.
Another must-read for all Bryce Courtenay fans.

Another super long book! Very interesting Australian history and well developed characters but too slow moving and way too much dialogue.

I didn’t bother finishing the book. My main problem with it, is how Tommo’s chapters are written. Im English and I can’t even properly understand what is going on. Having this book in second point of view would’ve been better.

Then there is the violence. The book should have a warning sticker attached. I didn’t expect the story to be so detailed when something gory and violent happened. I had to skip those parts because it was just too disgusting.

Overall the book wasn’t the best.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Excellent follow on from book 1, The potato factory.
In this book we follow Tommo and Hawk the two twins who couldn't look more different. They embark on crazy adventures that help them fight their internal demons and help them grow into fine young men. From whale boats, to solving conflicts between settlers and Maori in New Zealand, to building a life in the rough slums of Sydney.
It was another gripping story that takes you on a roller coaster adventure that you can't put down.

I'm not sure if I would have given this 4stars if I had read this rather than listened to it. I have a feeling the Narrator's reading of it is what kept me interested. Also gave me a good laugh at times - although I don't think the bits I laughed at were intended to be comedic ;)

Quite a bit of a history lesson too.

His best book.

This book was a little too coarse for my taste, but I did enjoy it for its historical value.

An excellent continuation of the story started in the book 'The Potato Factory', following the twin brothers Tommo and Hawk as they become young men finding their way in an often cruel world. So incredibly well written, with descriptions that paint vivid pictures that really let you in on the tales as if you were right along side them as their adventures unwind. Often tragic but always uplifting, it's really an epic tale of how you can become you're own person in a world that seems fraught with despair and anger and greed. And the importance of love and family to help you get through the worst of whatever you're in. Looking forward to continue the story of the Soloman family into the next book.

excellent story, most exciting adventures.