Another amazing story of Australia the strength of it's people, land and history.

There are so many things to love about Courtenay’s writing, and again he has crafted deep characterisation that allows us to love and care about his protagonists. However, this book just felt a little too convoluted and could have carried the same emotional impact with 400 pages fewer.
Mole Moloney is a great character and his stories of his family, bushfires, his father’s war and his own Vietnam experiences, along with his PTSD do make for some journey. A good but not great read.

Spectacular! That is all! If you don't love this book, there's something wrong with you. My husband usually hates it when I play Audiobooks without my earphones in. However, he loved listening to this. I think it helped that we're from the bush (Moulamein, southern NSW. Near Swan Hill, Vic) so he could easily relate to a lot of the characters.

I must also say something about the audiobook narrator, Humphrey Bower. This man is a fabulous narrator. He's definitely one of the best narrators of audiobooks that I've heard. Kudos Mr Bower and of course, Bryce RIP.

I was in Australia so I decided to read an Australian book. This book fitted the bill perfectly.
The story of a family from a small town and their determination to overcome the double disadvantages of grinding poverty and a father irrevocably damaged by his experiences during the war.

Well you can tell I'm in lockdown! This book is very long and would normally take me 3 weeks( I'm a slow reader.) After having the paperback falling on my face and my arm getting tired I read most of this as an ebook.
I needed a book to keep me interested this book did that. He is is a brilliant story teller.
Do give it a read maybe while on holiday or during a lockdown.
I love stories where history is wrapped in even if he thinks the NZ Pavlova is from Australia. Because of this, I've knocked a star off.

Fabulous and informative about Australia’s ecology, post world war 2 assimilation of displaced persons and the changing popular culture in the 60’s and 70’s.
It does not pull any punches on the topics of Japanese prisoner of war camps and death marches.

This is only my second book by Bryce Courtenay, but already he is establishing himself as one of my favourite writers. Though FOUR FIRES and THE POWER OF ONE (the books I have read thus far) are rather lengthy, they truly resonate and the characters Courtenay creates in both feel so real I miss them when I finish.
The story centers around the Maloney family in a small town in Australia. They don't have it easy, and are definitely a multi-faceted bunch, but they make the best of what they have and just feel like a real family. Courtenay's books remind me so strongly of Gerald Durell's MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS. The people are quirky and sometimes downright odd, but they all have some sort of charm that makes you root for them.
In any case, FOUR FIRES deals with so many issues that feel too important to forget in terms of historical value, while still remaining incredibly relevant today. Courtenay is an author who takes his time getting to the crux of the matter, but the journey of arriving is better than the 'prize'. His books are so intrinsically about character development, you really feel as though you are following this group of people as they live their lives, go through ups and downs. That is my favourite kind of book. If I can feel for the characters or grow interested in their stories, there doesn't need to be any huge plot related drama. Still, for those readers who need adventure, there's that, too.
Courtenay writes about the difficulties of living in the Australian Bush, of Australia's World War II involvement and PTSD; of making it in the world of business and finding a sense of fulfillment along the way. There is romance and humor, tragedy and adventure. I really don't understand why Courtenay is not better known in Europe and the US, because he easily holds his own in comparison to other writers of epic tomes such as the much-lauded Ken Follett (nothing against Follett...)
There I go rambling on and on, but that's just what this kind of book does. It creeps under your skin in the best way possible, so that you feel a part of the story and it is an almost sad event when you finally finish it. I listened to the audio version of this, mainly because I saw that the brilliant Humphrey Bower narrates, and it is absolutely worth it. He is one of the best narrators I have come across.
Can't wait to read some of Courtenay's other books. Much as with THE POWER OF ONE, I wish he was alive so I could write him how much I loved this book. Highly recommended!

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I made it half way through this series, just past part 1, and suddenly it turned into a graphic sex novel. Won’t be finishing it, although I was enjoying it. It’s a pity readers can’t be assumed to use their imaginations in situations like these...

Written with compassion, Four Fires explores the legacy that PTSD had on one family in three generations. An epic with simple beginnings, it follows the characters introduced by the narrator to conclusion. Swopping between quite varying subjects and backgrounds, however does not fail to entertain or lose the user. Despite the fact that environments and sub-cultures explored including everything from the clothing & fashion industry, professional boxing and the Australian bush.

Courtenay does at times like to end his characters or sub-plots off on a somewhat sickly-sweet ending. Whilst satisfying to the reader for the most part, in this book there was an occasion or two that it did not lend itself well to the overall plot.

As an avid lover of history, there is nothing more gratifying than learning something new that you did not know about or had not been exposed to much in the past. Four Fires opens the atrocities that occurred on the Sandakan death marches, which ended in the loss of 2,434 lives to the reader. A harrowing read at times, the cruelty experienced by the Australians and other Allied prisoners of war was one of shocked delay and suprise. Of all the POW’s only six survived the death marches; each shot in the head as they collapsed from exhaustion. Outside of dysentery more than one affliction destroyed the POW’s. Starvation lead to cannibalism. The brutality these men suffered was hard to stomach at times. One would think that after such atrocities had occurred, these events would need to be discussed. How else must the victims find recovery? It was however decided that these events would be kept under wraps. Decided because it was believed the atrocities would be too much for the families to bear.
Or was it because of the incompetence surrounding any rescue efforts?

I think I've loved every Bryce Courtenay book I've read! Love love love!!!!!!! Though I will say that the ending was a little meh for me. But I suppose it kinda had to be. Still though. Everything about this book was so worth my time. Highly recommend.

A great story giving insights into Australia in the past as well as war and the effects on the troops. At times was tough to keep churning through though as it recounted the lives of various different characters. Overall, I liked it. If I could give it 3.5 I would, loved the last 100 pages but I feel there were too many times I was disinterested and even considered skipping some pages to give it 4. It is split into 3 sections and perhaps I should have read it as 3 separate books with a spacer in between and would feel much better about it.

Wow one of the best historical fiction I have read. It made me laugh and cry. Want to share!!!