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)

great book with an entertaining story

Any additional comments?

Bryce Courtney is a great Author and I cant wait to listen to more

Supperbly written. I hated to see it end.

What did you love best about The Potato Factory?

While the story line and presenter were great I also loved the history lesson I got. I have a greater knowledge now of life during that time period as well as the history of the Australian penal colonies.Oscar DeVries

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main player of the story.

A great listen!

What made the experience of listening to The Potato Factory the most enjoyable?

Narration was perfect, nothing boring hearing the great vocabulary.

What did you like best about this story?

It has been a while since I have listened to such a great story that also educated me about the era and the process of the English getting deported to Australia and the struggles once there. It is such a well written book, so different from the authors pushing out a new one each year.

Which scene was your favorite?

I cannot think of many scenes that were not my favorite -the lives of Ike, Bob Marley, the two Marys and even Ann Gower. There is so much woven into it.

The formation of the characters has been done superbly.

Any additional comments?

This is my favorite listen since Cutting for Stone.

Fantastic Homage to Dickens

This was a fantastic homage to Dickens and captivating historical fiction. Most of us know of Australia's penal colony history but this book brings that history to life. The characters are memorable, imperfect and quirky. The story carries you along through the ups, the downs, the twists, the turns, the triumphs and the struggles of these wonderful characters. There are at least two scenes deeply imbedded in my psyche just as the horse beating scene in Crime and Punishment will be with me forever. That means that this book will not soon be forgotten - if ever - and I look forward to the second book in this trilogy.

Great book

The best narrator i have ever heard performing this great book. match made in heaven

Truly epic!

Bryce Courtenay takes Charles Dickens to a whole new level! But I just couldn't cope with the intensity - I must admit I stopped while they were still in England. I guess it took too long to get the primary characters to Australia. Not that it was boring, by any means! Just misery after misery, interspersed with explicit violence, fascinatingly, skillfully written! The historical research for this book was monumental, and the reader is amazing - a true master of British accents!

But once I realized that this is the first book in a trilogy, I just quailed at the thought of all the blood and bone and misery ahead, and figured I'd call it quits. For someone with more appreciation of carnality, this is an awesome history book!

Loved it

I really enjoyed this book as I have all of Bryce Courtenay's that I have listened to. The narrator did a fantastic job and brought the story to life.

Epic Story!

Wow! I found this book during a routine search of the Audible website. It was one of those great finds you stumble upon from time to time. The story was incredibly rich and detailed, the characters compelling (even if they weren't always likeable), and the plot pulls you in. Humphrey Bower is a top narrator--he really brings the characters to life. At the end of the book, I immediately downloaded Book 2.

One of the best!!!

What did you love best about The Potato Factory?

I loved all of the historical type narrative that made you feel you were back in the early to mid 1800s. The narration was excellent and the story kept your interest al the way through. The character development was great.

What other book might you compare The Potato Factory to and why?

There is no comparison.

What about Humphrey Bower’s performance did you like?

His command of accent and dialect. He is an excellent narrator.

If you could rename The Potato Factory, what would you call it?

Leave a Little Salt

Enjoyable!

What did you love best about The Potato Factory?

The Story was historically interesting

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Potato Factory?

Too many to pick just one

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

Each person in the story had their own voice, sometimes I forgot it was the same man reading all the characters, very well done!

Any additional comments?

All and all a great listen, mayby a bit long.