Tandia

By: Bryce Courtenay

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Tandia is a child of all Africa: half Indian, half African, beautiful and intelligent, she is only 16 when she is first brutalized by the police. Her fear of the White man leads her to join the Black resistance movement. With her in the fight for justice is the one White man Tandia can trust, the welterweight champion of the world, Peekay. Now he must fight their common enemy in order to save both their lives.

©2013 Christine Courtenay (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"Humphrey Bower is brilliant....[Tandia] will resonate in the hearts and minds of listeners long after the final chapter." (AudioFile Magazine)

A decent sequel

I really enjoyed the book. Humphrey Bower is an excellent narrator, but the story doesn't' quite have the magic of The Power of One. Maybe that's appropriate considering the history of South Africa following the events of the first book, but I found the ending to be a little too neat and somewhat trite, with none of the humor and irony present in the first book. still a good novel and worth the listen.

A worthy follow-up to the great Power of One

Although not quite the amazing story of The Power of One, Tandia still deserves five stars. I guess that makes The Power of One a six star novel. If you haven't read The Power of One, forget this book and start at the beginning. Once you finish that masterpiece you'll have no choice but to read the follow-up. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. The Power of One is one you'll be recommending to all your friends.

A LOOK INSIDE APARTHEID

Where 'The Power of One' looked at the maturation of one boy in the oppressed state of South Africa, "Tandia' brings the ugliness of Apartheid to the reader like a punch in the gut! Bryce Courtenay tells a beautiful story and develops his characters slowly and in great detail. He makes you smile, elicits tremendous empathy, laugh and makes you cringe at the details of life in a separated S. Africa. A wonderful follow up presented so spot on by the inimitable Humphrey Bower.

The best book I have ever read.

I was a huge fan of The Power of One. That said, I was very excited to read Tandia. It turned out to be a truly life changing read for me.

Good until the final chapter. Disappointing end.

Where does Tandia rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

#2. It was almost as good as Power of One & continued the story line which left me wanting more. Throughout both books there was great detail given in every area.

But the ending of Tandia seemed rushed through the last 2-3 chapters. Then just ended with a fizzle - a half hearted promise for the future of South Africa.

Just a bit more time spent with the path of woman, Tandia would have left an ongoing picture in our story telling brains, of what could be. I felt cheated after following the characters on such a long & treacherous path! To read these long epic stories, the reader is 'greatly invested' & to be let down put me in a gloomy mood for a couple of days.

Some early characters should have been re-introduced, such as Hoppy.

Narration was surperb.

Would you recommend Tandia to your friends? Why or why not?

Probably not. Best to leave Peekay to the first book. The Power of One

Have you listened to any of Humphrey Bower’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, & just as good.

If you could take any character from Tandia out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Peekay, but tell him to leave Tandia alone.

Any additional comments?

Bryce seems overly caught up in foul language & blaming religion for most everything. The story could be told to a wider audience, especially teenagers without so much demeaning language. I agree that often times religion is used as a tool or a battering ram for people to use to justify their thoughts & actions.

What an epic story!

I cared about every character, protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters alike. Learned a lot about South Africa, too, especially the conditions before apartheid. What more can you ask for?

I can't get it out of my head

Tandia was incredible. No other way to say it. I never wanted it to end.

Tandia is Fantastic

What made the experience of listening to Tandia the most enjoyable?

Mr. Courtenay's vivid description puts you there. Tandia along with the Power of One are two of the best books I have listened to. Mr. Bower is a brilliant performer capturing all of the characters with his voice and expression.

What did you like best about this story?

PK's continued journey overcoming trial after trial.

Which character – as performed by Humphrey Bower – was your favorite?

PK

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Welterweight

The American Version

I love the writing of Bryce Courtenay and have read Tandia three or four times. My original copy of the book, ordered and shipped from South Africa, was his original work. My second copy, which this audio book is read from, was edited for length (not well) and content to sell in the US. The structure was changed and large sections were removed. Most of what was removed didn't effect the overall arc of the story, but I miss it. I wish they would have made the original book into an audio book, instead of this one. Does that mean you shouldn't read or listen to this book? NO. It is well-written and completes the story of Peekay.

page turner

excellent book, eye opening to the suffering of apartheid. the ending was abrupt and disappointing tho