Tommo and Hawk

The Australian Trilogy, Book 2

By: Bryce Courtenay

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

Length: 20 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Brutally kidnapped and separated in childhood, Tommo and Hawk are reunited at the age of 15 in Hobart Town. Together, they escape their troubled pasts and set off on a journey into manhood. From whale hunting in the Pacific to the Maori wars of New Zealand, from the Rocks in Sydney to the miners' riots at the goldfields, Tommo and Hawk must learn each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to survive.

Along the way, Hawk meets the outrageous Maggie Pye, who brings love and laughter into his life. But the demons of Tommo's past return to haunt the brothers. With Tommo at his side, Hawk takes on a fight against all odds to save what they cherish most. In the final confrontation between good and evil, three magpie feathers become the symbol of Tommo and Hawk's rite of passage.

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

Critic reviews

"Narrator Humphrey Bower captures each character, making listeners forget that one majestic voice creates the various natives, the Irish, the English, and people of all ages. Few will fail to be enthralled by this adventure saga, which skillfully captures history while keeping listeners glued to their earphones." (Audiofile)

Another fantastic read from Bryce!

I have read several of Bryce Courtenay's books and have enjoyed them all, and this one is no exception. Without telling you the story, it is a story about two twin brothers coming of age amidst great misfortune in their lives and of the powerful bond that siblings, especially twins, can have.

It was a very interesting read which kept me engaged the entire time, Bryce makes you care about these characters and want to know what happens next in their lives. The only thing that could be a negative for me is that I felt that the story ended a bit abruptly for my taste.

I must also mention Humphrey Bower, he was BORN to read Bryce Courtenay's books; so perfect and talented in every way.

GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE, GOOD SEX, TRUE STORY!

So this is Book Two and I love Courtenay and very much enjoy Mr. Bower, so I listened, realizing this is Courtenay's masterpiece, the work of two decades, and based on Australian history. I chose to keep listening. I found the sex tastefully done and -- uh, normal and sweet, whether the first time for this person or the first time with this person! I relished the discussions of ethical behavior, Hawk's always reaching for a higher path in his behavior. Bower got Hawk's voice especially well. I also loved Mary, watching her settle into her job while giving herself a routine of wearing gloves and communing with the beautiful green parrots, setting a fine example as a businesswoman running and growing her own company.

Hawk's enjoyment of his friendship with Maggie Pie is delicious, as he comes to realize that she finds him as fascinating and wonderful as he finds her, whore or no.

I had all kinds of problems with the revenge killing, torture, dismemberment, etc. As the third wife of a Vietnam veteran, I listened to such material out of love, and the images are indelible. I was the first woman who cared to listen, and the sharing helped bring healing. I feel sure that the way some of these characters died must have been based on fact because Courtenay would never do all that to his favorite characters! This book has many parts that just have to be gotten through . . . unthinkably filthy and awful!

The Maori experience is like a bonus book, rich and eventful. For me this was just a first nibble at an enormous subject. Now I understand the little green plastic thingy my mother brought back from her travel, offering only fuzzy explanations of its significance! And I'd thought it was some kind of fashion statement generated by an airline!

Okay, all the prissy-pants in Texas, you've been warned! You can let Courtenay drag you through a rich and agonizing knot-hole of historical experience, or you can avoid the negative and never know what you missed!

Humphrey Bower Deserves An Award.....

If you could sum up Tommo and Hawk in three words, what would they be?

I am so happy that I decided to listen to this story. I love books that use historical facts as a base and then provide a gripping story for the readers/listeners. I am on book two and will definitely finish the series. But the greatest part of all is that Humphrey Bower does complete justice to the characters. When a narrator tries to play different parts and does a horrible job, I don't care if the book is on every Best Seller list, it can ruin it for the listener. Mr. Bower does a remarkable job with every character and is one of the reasons I will continue with the trilogy. Well Done!!

What did you like best about this story?

The background and the development of the characters and storyline.

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

With his great accent, he makes you feel like you are a part of the story. If I was reading the book, it would still be awesome because the story itself is, but the extra pizzazz that is added by Mr. Bower's story telling would be lost.

If you could rename Tommo and Hawk, what would you call it?

Not sure

great story and reader

loved it, narration is the best that audible has. don't miss this one, wish there was more to the ending

My New Favorite Narrator

Where does Tommo and Hawk rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

You have to start with The Potato Factory, listen to it first. After that 5 star listen you will want to immediately listen to this one. It does not disappoint. Until I started listening to this story my favorite narrator was Frank Muller. He took Grisham, Stephen King and Pat Conroy's masterpieces to another level. I thought no one could top his ability. The combination of Bryce Courtenay and Humphrey Bower has taken audio books may pass that level. I've spent hundreds of hours listening to audio books, this series is my favorite by far.

What other book might you compare Tommo and Hawk to and why?

This is a history of Australia told and performed by a stellar team of artists. Bryce writes like Charles Dickens. You really could compare his writing to classics like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, etc.

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

Ikey Solomon is my favorite character from an audio book. Humphrey Bower nails this character.

Who was the most memorable character of Tommo and Hawk and why?

Both Tommo and Hawk are memorable

Any additional comments?

The story has many layers that are easy to keep track of. The writing is superb and the characters are etched in your memory for all time. This is one hell of a tale. Very much worth a credit.

Well Worth the Credit

So far, I haven't found a Bryce Courtenay book that I didn't like. This is no exception. The reader is awesome. I am now headed for the third book in the trilogy.

Tommo and Hawk

What a story! Due to the previous reviews and the synopsis I won???t go into what this was about; instead I wanted to add my views of how much I like Bryce Courtney and the narrator Humphrey Bower. What a combination. Mr. Bower is a master of acting ??? in narration ??? and if he ever becomes a huge video star his talents would be missed. Mr. Courtney is a master story teller of things I know/knew little of. In his preface he notes that the surroundings and personalities were accurate; with that in mind and having little else to go on, he painted quite an existence. As with most history, women are constantly victims and those who choose not to be, are very interesting people indeed. Get the series ??? each book could stand on their own but one without the other would miss a lot. I will listen to the series again.

No sugar coating about life here!

If you could sum up Tommo and Hawk in three words, what would they be?

Shocking, gritty, and fabulous

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hawk, because of his no nonsense views of life and love. He is a romantic and a realist who believes that family comes first at all cost. He sees the good in all people, but if someone crosses a loved one, there will be hell to pay. Hawk realizes that family comes in the form of blood relatives and also in those who we meet in life who care and love us.

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

All of the characters are fabulous, but I like his interpretation of the female characters best.

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

Of course, it made me do both. But mostly cry at the hardships and difficulties of both Tommo and Hawk in their lives.

Any additional comments?

I would have given this book a 5 except for the section towards the middle about the Maori war that sort of dragged on and on with less story of Tommo and Hawk. I think this is where Courtenay was "historical" part in the historical fiction classification.

not as good as the first

some parts were excellent and others seemed irrelevant and I drifted off. the narration is excellent.

Sparks of Genius

The quality of the opening two chapters is up there with Dumas, Dickens et al. The only weak point to this book I would say is the lack of a main plot.