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)

Exception on the second read

Thanks Bryce and Humphrey! You two write and perform with exceptional talent! I am as drawn in by the characters and storyline as I was the first time reading!

WOW!!!!

What an awesome book and audible. Probably the best I've listened to. A wonderful journey and story. I ❤️ Ikey and Mary!

Always leave a little salt

Ikey Solomon has nothing and is tiny in a world that is merciless. He lives by his wits and prospers. At the beginning of this book there is a narrative that leads the reader to believe that Ikey is a character to be despised and disliked I found that I had no ill feeling towards him. He was a scoundrel and a rascal but that’s what it took to survive in the times he lived. The story is a saga of the Solomon family and how they ended up in the mighty continent of Australia. Narrated by the always brilliant Humphrey Bower.

Amazing

If you could sum up The Potato Factory in three words, what would they be?

Enlightening, tragic, historic

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

Mr Bowers performance is perfect for this series. All of the trilogy comes alive with his narration

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I wish the people in power would read these books. It seems to me, we are doomed to repeat the past over and over again. Will we never learn?

Blew me away!!!

What did you love best about The Potato Factory?

The character development by the writer. As nasty as some of them were, I felt I knew them personally.

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

What happened to Mary Abacus immediately after getting a job.

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

Ikey. He was a bad apple, but sometimes he stumbled onto some undeniable truths.

Any additional comments?

I have just discovered Bryce Courtenay and will isten to every one of his books, especially with the knowledge that Humphrey Bower narrates them all. What a combination of talent!!

Exciting characters - great listen!

The history of Australia is fascinating anyway, but this book really portrays a unique view of the early English settlers going to the continent. Everyone has an angle and everyone has instinctive qualities that allow them to succeed, despite the terrible conditions under which many of them arrived. I can't wait to hear the 2nd installment of this trilogy. The narrator creates nuanced individuals of each of the MANY characters. Numerous accents, pitches and vocal mannerisms are skillfully played.

Exceptional writing and memorable characters

If you could sum up The Potato Factory in three words, what would they be?

Full of surprises.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Isaac Simon, and his panoply of narcissistic, antisocial and paranoid character traits. Although they were modified at a glacial pace, he evolved over the course of decades, into an individual who was able to love, mourn, and lose more than a scintilla of his self-defeating character pathology. His intelligence permitted him to gain partial insight into the role that he played in the creation and influence of the vicissitudes of his life and of some of those he encountered during the course of his lifetime.

Which scene was your favorite?

Isaac Simon's search for "Sperm Whale Sally".

Who was the most memorable character of The Potato Factory and why?

Mary "Abacus", whose kindness and evolving willingness to forgive and to persevere in spite of severe, recurrent acts of cruelty, to which she was repeatedly exposed. She was willing to do almost anything in order to survive and assist those she loved.

Any additional comments?

I am planning to acquire the second book in this series, and then the third and final book in the series,

A Realist View of the Time Period

If you could sum up The Potato Factory in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, realistic, cruel

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

The description of Ike's coat and the way he has everything arranged in it.

What about Humphrey Bower’s performance did you like?

The narration is perfect for the story.

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

Mary, at true survivor

Any additional comments?

This story is most realistic for the time period; be prepared to hear the cruelty...it stays with you.

Two thumbs up!!

Loved everything about this book!! A little vulgar and graphic but necessary for the era.

Disappointing for a Bryce Courtenay book

Any additional comments?

I chose this book because my mom read a few of Courtenays books and loved them and also because I love historical fiction. The author provides vivid insight in the life of the poor and oppressed in Londonand character development is very well done. I was ready to give it 5 stars until the last 1/4 when all the ridiculousness with Ike, Sperm Whale Sally, the twins, etc. I won't be listening to the sequel. My advice - don't waste your time, audible has hundreds of way better books.