No stranger to the injustice of racial hatred, five-year-old Peekay learns the hard way the first secret of survival and self-preservation - the power of one. An encounter with amateur boxer Hoppie Groenewald inspires in Peekay a fiery ambition - to be welterweight champion of the world.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I don't think I left the couch for a couple of days when I started reading the Power of One. The descriptions used by Courtenay of the land and the lifestyles of the characters are second to none. I have probably re-read the book 10 times, and each time I smile at the same places and cry at the same places. It doesn't matter that I know what's happening or coming up, because I fell in love with Peekay the first time I read the book, and I can't seem to help myself returning to his life and reading about it all over again. The sounds of the train running on the tracks, the feeling of sorrow in a small boy's heart, and the smell of the boxing gym are just some of the powerful images in the Power of One. This is a must read book for everyone, and a great book to develop the love of reading in a friend.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I read this book to help my daughter with her summer reading list. I was supposed to take notes on it so she could write the essay. Well, the book sucked me in and I couldn't put it down, so no notes for her. I made her read the book herself since I loved it so much I wanted her to experience it also.
The historical setting of the book was a new one for me. South Africa during WWII. I read a lot of books about history and enjoy them, but thinking about what it was like for the blacks and whites during this time of their own struggle of Aparthied was new. I know this book gave me a new perspective on what went on during this time period.
The ending left me wanting more and I wish that the story had continued although I understand why it ended when it did. Excellent story and I highly recommend the book.
The historical setting of the book was a new one for me. South Africa during WWII. I read a lot of books about history and enjoy them, but thinking about what it was like for the blacks and whites during this time of their own struggle of Aparthied was new. I know this book gave me a new perspective on what went on during this time period.
The ending left me wanting more and I wish that the story had continued although I understand why it ended when it did. Excellent story and I highly recommend the book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Old Choirboy
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not only your own "must read" list, but every middle and high school aged kid you know's list. This is an epic story, skillfully written and thoroughly engrossing, about a boy's amazing journey from small child to older teen. Peekay overcomes tremendous adversity and changes peoples lives along the way. His belief in the power of one person along with a clear moral sense of what was wrong with apartheid in South Africa lead him to greater and greater efforts, often risking all. But this story isn't simply a vehicle to tell about the old South Africa, it's really a story that uses that period in history to tell a story of human courage and resourcefullness. This is a "can't put it down" kind of book. My adult son remembers a similar experience when he read it as a school assignment in 7th grade.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A most amazing book
This story goes to the heart of the human soul as well as our mind and actions.
This is fiction and even tho it might sound like a 'self-help' book, it is not. Read more
This is fiction and even tho it might sound like a 'self-help' book, it is not. Read more
Published 1 month ago by jo
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a thrilling read
I don't know how I stumbled on this but I entered Bruce Courtenay's world and got lost in it. It's a wonderful, magical coming-of-age story set in South Africa, amazingly rich in... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Dale R. B.
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