The Persimmon Tree

By: Bryce Courtenay

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

Length: 27 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

A sweeping saga from Bryce Courtenay, Australia's most popular author.

The Persimmon Tree opens in Indonesia in 1942 on the cusp of Japanese invasion and the evacuation of Batavia (Jakarta) by the Dutch. Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Duncan is on holiday there, in pursuit of an exotic butterfly known as the Magpie Crow. It's an uncertain, dangerous time to be in Indonesia, and Nick's options of getting out are fast dwindling. Amidst the fear and chaos he falls in love with Anna, the beautiful daughter of a Dutch acquaintance, and she nicknames him 'Mr Butterfly'.

To assist in the escape, Anna's father gifts Nick his prized yacht, Vlermuis, to sail to Australia. Singapore has just fallen, the Japanese have made it to Sumatra, and the waters are dangerous. Vlermuis is not long out of Batavia when Nick is forced ashore for repairs. He witnesses the bloody execution of shipwrecked Allied soldiers by natives, and while burying what's left of the bodies, Nick notices one wounded soldier has escaped death, and he carries him back to his yacht.

The rescued soldier is a lower-class Irish Catholic American called Kevin Judge. He has no sailing experience, but he assists Nick in navigating through some dramatic storms and the two form an unlikely and lifelong friendship.

©2007 Bryce Courtenay; 2013 Christine Courtenay (P)2007 Bolinda Publishing

There is a sequel, thank goodness!

Overall thoughts: a great story, great narration, and I'm looking forward to starting on the sequel. I highly recommend this audiobook.

When I reached the end of this audiobook, I was initially aggravated by the seemingly abrupt ending, until I realized there was a sequel (Fishing For Stars). That realization also cleared up my one spot of annoyance at the story, which was the constant reference of the narrator stating, "I was to learn that..____".

At first it seemed like a way to throw in details without explanations, and now I get that it literally meant "I was to learn more about this at a later time, which you will learn in a later book." Phew! Crisis averted.

Narrator Humphrey Bower is amazing as usual. I was *delighted* to finally hear a crack in his normally impeccable accents -- while he has a good "general American" accent, he is lousy at individual city accents. His Chicago and Boston accents were jarring at first, though they do somewhat improve. Other than that, his narration is wonderful.

The story is excellent, as I always expect from the late, great Bryce Courtenay. There's the usual shocking treatment of women in this story, so be prepared. While it's certainly not gratuitous, and is nowhere near as bad as how the character Tandia is treated in "Tandia", it's still jarring at times.

Looking forward to continuing the story!

Loved all the twists and turns but...

I really enjoyed the story but the ending is wanting - leaves one's mind in the lurch, essentially. Being a romantic, I'm not sure I'll read another of Courtney's books.

Rambling

A good novel is tightly woven; each detail has a purpose. This is not that kind of novel. This is a rambling history of the war in the pacific overlaid with a love story whose events seem both cliched and absurdly impossible. It's not a bad book, in fact it's absorbing at times, it's just way too long and annoyingly repetitive. If you are looking for a well written, tightly plotted novel with a satisfying conclusion, keep looking, this is not the book for you. If you don't mind strange tangents, characters without purpose, and an interesting view of the WW2 Pacific theater, it's OK.

Another Wonderful Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Persimmon Tree to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

The character development was wonderful as usual in a Bryce Courtenay book. Sometimes when a story is told from the viewpoints of several characters, one of them might be less interesting than the others. This isn't the case with Courtenay's characters. All are fascinating people.

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

Anna. Humphrey Bower is such a skilled narrator that you are totally enveloped by the story and hear it told by each of its different characters.

If you could rename The Persimmon Tree, what would you call it?

I wouldn't rename it.

Any additional comments?

I knew thiis was the prequel to Fishing for Stars, so I chose to listen to it first. I'm glad I did because Fishing for Stars is a much lesser book and might not have led me to another book about the same people. The Persimmon Tree is Courtenay at his best.

Incredible performance by Bower,

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, overall amazing performance of a very solid story, i listened to the 24 hours or so in less than 3 weeks.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tied for two Kevin Judge and Teal, he added the necessary comic tone for such a story of sorrow and survival

What about Humphrey Bower’s performance did you like?

I literally loved his ability to express cultural differences through speech, What a talented individual

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both and more than 1 or 2 times, very difficult to do

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book, dont read it, you are going to miss out on an incredible performance.

The Persimmon Tree? Quite tasty!

Would you listen to The Persimmon Tree again? Why?

I have never relistened to an audiobook other than Garrison Keillor's Pretty Good Jokes.

What did you like best about this story?

You can't go wrong with the late Bryce Courtenay. I was hooked with The Power Of One and have been a fan since.

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

Humphrey Bower rates right up there with John Lee, Gregory David Roberts, and Jim Dale.

If you could rename The Persimmon Tree, what would you call it?

The Persimmon Tree Saga

Any additional comments?

Bryce Courtenay was one of the rare transportive authors. He will be missed.

Leaves You Wanting More

If you could sum up The Persimmon Tree in three words, what would they be?

Survival Love Story

What other book might you compare The Persimmon Tree to and why?

Unbroken, another good Story of Survival during WWII, this one by Laura Hillenbrand

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

A nice flavor of the main character's Australian heritage.

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

Nick of course.... A truly unique character, a man's man and a ladies man - one for the ages!

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book due to the good reviews, and I'll add my good review to the list. I actually thought this was based on a true story, but came to find out it is a fictitious account based on true History. It is a bit unbelievable to some extent (oddly enough it would only be believable if in fact it WAS based on actual accounts - the only reason for 4-stars versus 5-stars), but still a terrific story and great performance by the reader/narrator - Highly recommended and I will listen to the next book in the story.

RIP Bryce Courtney

What made the experience of listening to The Persimmon Tree the most enjoyable?

Humphrey Bower brings such life to each character, you forget it is being read by one person! As usual, Bryce Courtney has written a memorable book that I look forward to
reading again! (After I finish ALL his books)

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

EVERYTHING!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The beach scene!!

Any additional comments?

I am so sad Bryce Courtney died recently ~ I do so look forward to reading his books.

Unique, entertaining, and unpredictable

There are thousands of books set in World War II, but I would bet that there are none that like The Persimmon Tree.

Is it a book set in WWII that happens to contain a love story?
Is it a love story about how experiences can change young love that happens to be set in WWII?

Courtenay has done a good job of combining the love story with essentially two separate stories about Anna and Nick while they were apart and trying to survive war with the Japanese. The book bounces back and forth between Anna and Nick and except for the beginning, where they met, and the end, where they reunite, their lives have no real connection other than their pledges to each other before they parted.

Courtenay has obviously well researched the world Nick and Anna were placed in and the framework is rooted in history. The portrayals of Japanese military and the Javanese population are not always flattering, but they appear to be realistic.

Humphrey Bowers reading is top notch and adds to the enjoyment. He handles the different accents well and the characters are, for the most part, distinct.

This was my first Bryce Courtenay book and it will probably not be the last.

Fantastic!!!

One of the best books I have listened to in quite a while. This is a wonderful story of the enduring strength of the human spirit. I found myself anxiously waiting for the next time I could listen.

It is a love story as well as a historical war story. This author puts a very human face on the war in the South Pacific and you get a peek at the clash of cultures that went on during WWII.

I loved the characters and finished the book wishing for more.