Historical Fiction
Another fantastic book by Bryce Courtenay. Six year old Tom Fitzsaxby finds a dog barely alive and saves it. Tom lives at the Boy's Farm, an orphanage in Northern South Africa. This part of SA is very Boer and vehemently anti-English. Tom befriends the 'pig boy' who is a Zulu. The dog if found will be drowned. Tom is almost sexually abused to keep his dog a secret. The Zulu is the person who saves him but he later pays with his life.
The story is about Tom's life as an outsider and a non-racist. First the school is rife with abuse and Tom is the focal point for the hatred for the English. Courtenay portrays South Africa from WW II to about the 1960s. The story is riveting but the history is equally interesting. Tom is an intelligent compassionate young man who only wants justice.
Rating: 
(4.5/5)
I really enjoyed this book. It is about a young girl's abuse in the Australian Outback. Jessica's own mother mistreats her so that her other daughter can marry a wealthy station owner. Jessica overcomes so much in her young life. I love the way she fights her battles. She also makes friends with an aboriginal woman which would have been frowned upon in that era (1910+) and helps her get back her own children from the government. Another great read from one of my favourite authors