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

Slightly unbalanced story.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, especially the first sections. It was slightly spoiled by the male protagonist's sexual exploits which had a bit of a breathless "written to appeal to the lads" overlay.

Brilliant performance.

Probably my favorite Courtenay book so far

This seemed to be the best book beginning to end as far as plot, characters, and action. This is number 6, as far as books of Courtenay I have listened to and has a slight edge as my favorite. Kept wanting to get back in the car to continue the book, always a sign of a five star book. Highly recommend. This author and narrator match is probably the best I have listened to. Enjoy.

Excellant Aussie Histiory kind of as far as I know

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

Excellant Aussie Histiory

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

incomparable

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

Humphrey is supberb at all accents he tries

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

the javanese village atmosphere

Any additional comments?

Read with quality and understanding

The Persimmon Tree

Once again Bryce Courtney created characters that are larger than life and very engaging. I was surprised at the main characters so young but so mature. It actually is hard to believe, but anyone would want a teen like these people. Humphrey Bower did so well at the genders and foreign accents one really feels the story. Highly recommend this story ??? even with my tongue in my cheek knowing the ages of the main characters. Of course times are different ??? WWII and now? ??? eh, maybe ??? probably???I love the analogy of the Persimmon tree. (Part 3) ;-)

Epic story - maybe too epic

Where does The Persimmon Tree rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'm a new Audible member, so it is my favorite so far.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nick Duncan, the protagonist, was very well developed, and I liked lack of braggery.

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

First time listener of Humphrey Bower. Will look for him again. I think he did a great job on Persimmon Tree

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

Not especially, but there were many passages that piqued my interest to continue reading about the part of the world where all this took place.

Any additional comments?

I didn't know ebony was the heart of the persimmon tree, did you?

I'm never disappointed with Bryce Courtenay

I've never been disappointed with any of Bryce Courtenay's books and I love listening to Humphrey Bower tell the story. Although not as thought provoking as the Power of One, it held my attention and I looked forward to my morning and evening drive home from work.

Brilliant!!

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

Bryce Courtenay's storyline and Humphrey Bower's narration of this book was incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed this and found the length gave me time to get emotionally involved with the characters. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves Australian history and Courtenay's writing. Simply brilliant!!

educational escapism

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

touching, informative, historical

Who was your favorite character and why?

hard to pick a favorite but the two leading roles are fascinating and life affirming

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

Probably Anna.

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

Lead man. He is clever, resourceful, dedicated, well educated, experienced in hand to hand combat, a crack shot, and according to the book incredibly good looking!

Any additional comments?

When i saw the length of this book I was initially put off. However, the story and performance were so good I found myself being relieved to have a long train, plane or car ride so I could listen to it for a good stretch. Very engrossing and you really felt that the characters were three dimensional people. It was also exceptionally interesting to learn about this small part of the war in this particular part of the world. By the end of the book I felt I knew something I hadn't when I began, and isn't that why we read books really? not just for entertainment (and this was plenty entertaining!) but to learn new things.

Sweeping, frightening, wonderful

Would you listen to The Persimmon Tree again? Why?

Probably not but then I never listen to a book more than once.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character because I got to know him very personally. There was a lot of good character development but none was as "real" as the main character.

Which scene was your favorite?

I could scarcely breathe as he watched what happened to the Australian and American sailors who went ashore.

Any additional comments?

The story is brutal and sometimes almost too difficult to read. This is especially true with Anna. But I did read every work and it was worth it!

A favorite audio book

Would you listen to The Persimmon Tree again? Why?

Yes, both the performance and the story make it worth a second listen.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved this narrative-driven story. I also listened to the second book in the series (Fishing for Stars), but I liked The Persimmon Tree better. The experiences the characters go through are beyond my imagination and always fascinating. Plus, the romantic situations are so beautifully written without being sappy.

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

The characters of Anna and Nick are both my favorites. Humphrey Bower really gives life to the main characters and the story.

Who was the most memorable character of The Persimmon Tree and why?

Anna is memorable because of how she handles a chain of difficult situations in a way that is mature beyond her years. At the same time, she is clearly vulnerable and will have to deal with what happens during the war for the rest of her life.

Any additional comments?

I've listened to more audio books since this one, but so far The Persimmon Tree is still my favorite.