The Potato Factory

The Australian Trilogy, Book 1

By: Bryce Courtenay

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

Length: 23 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Always leave a little salt on the bread...

Ikey Solomon's favorite saying is also his way of doing business, and in the business of thieving he's very successful indeed. Ikey's partner in crime is his mistress, the forthright Mary Abacus, until misfortune befalls them. They are parted and each must make the harsh journey from thriving nineteenth century London to the convict settlement of Van Diemen's Land.

In the backstreets and dives of Hobart Town, Mary learns the art of brewing and builds The Potato Factory, where she plans a new future. But her ambitions are threatened by Ikey's wife, Hannah, her old enemy. The two women raise their separate families, one legitimate and the other bastard. As each woman sets out to destroy the other, the families are brought to the edge of disaster.

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

Critic reviews

"In the tradition of Charles Dickens, Courtenay creates a unique cast of characters from the outset of this epic novel....Humphrey Bower's performance is a marvel...making this one of those rare books with a sweep of characters the readers come to care about deeply." (AudioFile)

Outstanding listen

This first book of a trilogy, was as good or better than any book/books I have listned to out of the more than 120 books I have downloaded through Audible. Out of all the reviews not one listed all three books and in the order they were written. All are avialible through Aubible. This trilogy of novels contains "The Potato Factory", "Tommo & Hawk" and "Solomon's Song". In that order. Another book by the same author "Brother Fish" was outstanding. Maybe a tad better (if that is possible) than the aforementioned Trilogy.

Learning history through fiction

It is rare to understand the history of a specific region; there is simply too much information about the plight of all people, the landscape, the political times, to make sense of the period. The Potato Factory is an anomaly. This first book of Bryce Courtenay’s trilogy brings this time to life. Not only are you involved in the lives of crooks and scoundrels, whores and bawdy houses, but the treatment these poor wretches receive is disgusting--and most horrid is the plight of the children. The saga of the characters from England to Australia persists, as a reader you begin to admire and respect them and their tenacity. I could not stop listening…and being a cheap Audible user, I waited two weeks until I could download the second book. It was every bit as good as the first book. What a treasure. The third book in the Potato Factory is not on Audible. By the time it is I’m sure I’ll have listened to the first two books again, just to hear the story—and contrary to other reviewer I thoroughly enjoyed Humphrey Bower the narrator.

An Excellant Book!

This is an amazing view of the 19th Century London poor and criminal class, and their migration to Van Deimon's Land. It is also a facinating introduction to Jewish life in London at that time.

Breathtaking Story

What an amazing tale. Together with "Tommo and Hawk" and "Solomon's Song," Bryce Courtenay's Australian Trilogy is a treasure of historical fiction. Courtenay, who was an ad man for most his life, came to writing late in life. But thank God he did.

Courtenay considered these books his love song to Australia. He immigrated there from South Africa as a boy and said Australia gave him a chance at a life he could never have hoped for in Africa.

While the whole of the trilogy is breathtaking in it's breadth and scope, this first installment is the best of them. Ikey Solomon, a real life rogue of the London underworld, and his mistress and business partner Mary Abacus are both sentenced to the prison colony of Van Diemen's Land. From there, through many trials and tribulations, they forge a life for themselves in the newfound British colony.

Both heartbreaking and uplifting, Courtenay's trilogy brings life to the too often neglected history of Australia. If you are a lover of history and literature, I urge you to purchase this book. The story and characters will stay with you forever.

The Potato Factory

I usually enjoy Bryce Courtenay books. However, there are too many characters with no moral compass here. Reading/listening to a long story about not very nice people, gets tiresome.

Flashman for Aussies

Flashman becomes Fagan and we even meet Charles Dickens and the Artful Dodger. The naration is very good. The author could have left out a little of the introspection and a few of the horrors that befall the charactors, however.

Great Book!

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It is a terrific story that grabbed me from the very beginning and I highly recommend it. The narrator is one of the best I've ever heard.

Good Story

Very raw, realistic account of life (or as it REALLY might have been). Good narration. Definately worth listening to.

Awesome

I can't believe I have not written a review on this series. WOW! Excellent. The beginning was a bit Dickens-esk (I am so glad I didn't have to grow up in those times)! What a ride. Amazing characters and none of them were without interesting strengths and/or flaws. I have recommended this book to several people and they had the same reaction I did.

Humphrey Bower is awesome and makes a huge contribution. The story is historically true to Australia???s history with characters that could have existed. I highly recommend this book and series. I loved every one of them and have listened to them more than once.

I had some trepidation about getting involved in a series of very long books but what a ride! I cried, laughed, hated, loved ??? this has it all!

Well worth the credit!!

Stick with it!

I loved previous books by Courtenay and I can listen to Humphrey Bower forever. (Good thing, since all of these books are long)
I generally don’t like books where the main characters have little redeeming value. Initially I thought I couldn’t stand a long book where I didn’t like the characters. However, I stuck with it because Courtenay’s descriptive writing is incredible, Bower’s performance is beautiful! So many voices out of one man’s larynx!
Eventually, I started caring about some of the characters, especially Mary. Despite the book’s length, the ending snuck up on me, as I was engrossed. It is a book that I can recommend and encourage friends to read.