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)

Amazingly powerful story & outstanding narration

Thank you for the powerful story. I continue to be impressed with the characters that Bower creates. Bower is an extremely talented narrator who captures the emotion and uniqueness of each character which enhances the skilfully written novel.

The story of PeKay continues

A moving love story that spans race and continents! I was so happy to re-visit old friends and be introduced to new ones!

Wonderful to listen to, hard to hear

As a South African, some of the themes in this follow-up to The Power of One was difficult to digest, but this did not distract from the skill with which this author and narrator draw you into the worlds of their characters. This is a great novel and a great audible production.
I did sometimes feel that the author over-simplified the political landscape in South Africa and fell into the trap of exaggerated stereotyping of characters and cultural groups (e.g. the black South African freedom fighter; the liberal white englishman, the jew with the compassion for oppression, the conservative and sexually warped afrikaner and the self-enriching black opportunist). Overall, however, I felt that the personal narrative of the two main characters (Tandia and Peekay) allowed a thought-provoking and sensitive look into South African society pre-1994 and the emotional repercussions of an oppressive regime.

narration is wonderful

I bought this book because i loved the first one, the Power of One, but most of all because the narrator makes me believe that each of the characters is real, and you know instantly which character is speaking.

Exhausting but Great Sequel.

These two books are exceptional. The Power of One is my favourite book of all time and its sequel, Tandia, is the more grown-up, even harsher adult continuation of the first. So many times these books move you and inspire you. They make you exhausted and emotional. Tandia is no different.

The narrator, Humphrey Bower, is truly gifted. I didn't think that I could enjoy these books more than I did when reading them through the years (multiple times for the Power of One). But that was incorrect, due to the fantastic skills, accents and tones that the narrator is capable of.
Moving, incredible books by Bryce Courtenay and really well performed by Mr Bower. The perfect combination.

Call

This book is excellent the reader is excellent in the story is wonderful I love all his books

Entrancing

Well written and enchanting.

Very well researched. The people are most vivid and interestingly described.
Although the characters are a bit too good and beautiful to be true, this is a good read!

Great story! Well spoken!

I loved The Power of One, so was surprised that Tandia was as good. This is a great story that does not disappoint.

In the Desert a Flower Grows

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

I enjoyed Tandia very much and it ranks highly among the stories I've listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

Apart from getting involved in the characters of the story, I was interested in the depiction of the social context (South Africa) of the story, including the draconian laws that governed and impacted every aspect of life for all the people of the country, the White oppressors as well as the many colored communities.

What does Humphrey Bower bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Humphrey Bower read the book very well, and his characterization was excellent.

Any additional comments?

My only 'caveat is that the book does not tie up all the pieces and leaves one hoping for a sequel which will take up the story through the fall of apartheid and the cataclysmic changes of its aftermath. How does Tandia's story end? What happens when the Blacks realize their freedom to participate fully in the management of their country? This is an exciting story that would have been well told by author Bryce Courtney - and I wish that he'd done so.

Absolutely fantastic!

I could not possibly recommend this more! It is now a life-long favorite next to the Power of One. I read the Courtenay's first work twice, both as a teenager and adult, and I did not know there was a sequal. Having had the chance to listen to Tandia and the continuation of one of my favorite stories, I cannot say enough good things. Courtenay's writing is so colorful (no pun intended) and imaginative; the verisimilitude is uncanny. And the performance by Bower is simply extraordinary! He mirrors each character's accents, nailing them even in the most difficult like Tandia's part Indian/South African English, and he being the essence of each character to life. Though brutal and sometimes extremely difficult to listen to, the beautiful story is one that I could listen to again and again!