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)

Not my type of book

I am a science fiction fan so the only reason I got this audiobook was that it is a 23 hour book that was on sale for $4.95. I do some work that occupies my hands and eyes but not my ears or mind so I snatched up a value like that.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to! I have been listening to audiobooks for over 20 years, so that is a significant statement.

The story itself is very engaging but Humphrey Bower's narration turns a good book into a great audiobook.

It is worth the full or member price or a credit, but for heaven's sake if you ever see it on sale for $4.95 again, GRAB IT!!!!

Great Story, Writer, Narrator!

I have been listening to Bryce Courtney’s books all winter as l take my evening walks- His narrator Humphrey Bower is superb, and brings these compelling stories to life-
I was so pleased that most of the books are long with lots of twists and turns, and filled with very human characters- good and evil! l am thrilled that there are several trilogies- they will keep me company on my walks as the NYC seasons change! Just finished the The Potato Factory and can’t wait to start Tommo and Hawk!

Loved this book

I loved this book. It will remind you of Dickens. The characters are full and I think most of them have some redeeming qualities. The book was well researched and informative. The narrator did it justice. I recommend it highly. I have the sequel in the queue.

Incredible Historical Fiction

Such an informative and beautifully written story! The narrator is probing the best of my listing experience.

Very Very Very Good

Previously, I'd listened to "Power of One" and "Tandia," both of which i'd recommend more highly than this. That being said, this is still one of the top 10 audio books i've ever heard. I was skeptical of downloading it after some bad reviews, but my hunger for more Courtenay outweighed this. I'm very glad I did. Great historical fiction with all the hallmarks of Bryce Courtenay. Memorable characters, great dialog, attention to detail, pacing, and plotting. Humphrey Bower does a stellar job with narration.

That being said: A warning. One of the main characters, Ikey Solomon, is a problematic character, and he inhabits the very harsh world of London's criminal underbelly. Especially near the beginning there are some difficult scenes. One review referred to the 'lack of moral compass' and another to a 'whiff of antisemitism.' However, I feel strongly that the characters follow very redemptory arc and the books view of London Jews in this era is more factual than slanted. I take Ikey's interactions with several Rabbis and honest Jewish people as an example of this. Another is his latter interactions with American Jews in New York. (This, in particular, is an illuminating section) Ikey is a man who grew up fighting for survival, poor and part of a demonized minority and adapted to the situation by developing his own particular brand of moral relativism. However, it's more a character study of this man than a characterization of Jews, and Courtenay places signposts in the story to keep any alert reader aware of this fact. Ikey comes to be very likable, but it takes a long time for this to happen, nearly until the end of the book.

However, if you're easily upset by scenes of violence and depravity or might be offended by a Jewish protagonist who fits, in many ways, the worst of Jewish stereotypes, you might want to steer clear. Otherwise, I heartily recommend The Potato Factory!

Didn't want it to end!

At first I wasn't sure if I should try this novel because I've just never been that interested in Australia. I'm so glad I did! I loved the experience of listening to this book. It's a wonderful story and the voices and accents are really well done by the narrator. Mary Abacus is now one of my very favorite literary characters. I downloaded the next book, Tommo and Hawk, before I even finished this one so I wouldn't have to wait to see what happens next!

Bruce and Humphrey - a listener's dream

In the course of a 23.5 hour book there are bound to be a few slow moments, but what's so surprising is that are so few. Besides the fact that Courtenay can write an action scene like nobody's business, I love the education his novels impart. He also leads you into the deepest pits of despair before springing back to the crests of elation with the skill of a master. No matter how long Courtenay's books, they are never long enough. You're in for a treat with this one as there are two more books in this amazing tale.

A must read!

One of the best authors of all time! The narrator, Humphrey Bower is also incredibly talented. This is one of Bryce Courteny's best. Bryce Courtenay is a writer of modern day classics. This book will have laughing, crying and engrossed from the start.
There is a sequel and I wish audible would make it available.

Brutal, Triumphant, Historical Fiction

I found this story of nineteenth century England and then Australia and their people to be absolutely fascinating . . . interesting, sad, maddening, disgusting, and it made me quite relieved that I do not come from the "upper crust". As downright awful as it was for the street urchins, prostitutes and pick pockets of that day and time to steal and do all the things that they did to survive, it was (and still is) much more disgusting to hear about what the well-to-do folks did, and how the religious "orphanages" operated. Brings new meaning to, "it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven." Pure evil existed and still does, but you find yourself identifying with many of the people in The Potato Factory . . . many of whom operate with a distinct set of moral code . . . even though they be prostitutes and thieves. And you begin to think, there but by the Grace of God, go I. I never knew that England sent prisoners to Australia until I listened to this audio book. Can't wait to get the next book in the trilogy.

So well written, but very dark!

I agree with the previous people saying that the writer has similarities to Dickens. Actually, several times while I was listening I had to remind myself that I wasn't listening to a Dickens story. This book is so very well written (and I believe well researched with my limited knowledge of the history) that it really is worth the read, especially for lovers of classic literature.

Since I really don't care for dark stories this one was hard for me to get through and I had to limit myself to the amount of time I could listen each day before it got to be too much and weighed on me. The story itself is a long and winding path of several tragic characters and the continuous bad things that happen to and because of them. The story of Mary Abacus is sort of Hester Prynne if she were a prostitute and abused far more than she was in her story. Most of the other characters are not likeable and very few actually redeem themselves by the end. As harsh as that is the history and setting probably requires using such odious people to be accurate. The plot has quite a few twists and turns, some you see coming and some that come out of the blue. I was interested in the plot and finding out what happens all the way to the end. It was very tempting to get the other two books but have decided I should stop while I am ahead with this story.

I am a lover of history and historical novels so it was very interesting to get a perspective on this place and time. One test of good writing is if it makes me think about the characters and/or circumstances when I put it down. If I can put a book down and not think about it until the next time I pick it up usually that means the story is lukewarm or flat. This book had me thinking quite a bit and pondering the time period and circumstances. I do believe that the writer did the story justice but that it was just an unfortunate choice of time period and setting. If the writer could make these people worth reading all the way to the end I can only imagine what he could do with a happy story.

I was not going to review this book because I loved and hated it all at the same time but after seeing that others shared my reaction I figured I would add my two cents. This book deserves a good review because it definitely was worth the time and money. It has enriched my view of a very unfortunate time and place that I wouldn't have otherwise thought about. Also, the writing style is so endearing to me that I was happy to see that there are modern day authors who can still make a tragic story worth reading.