Review: The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay

The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bryce Courtenay - always delivers when it comes to outstandingly fantastic Australian Books.

The Potato Factory is definitely up there as one of his absolute best.

The story is about Mary, based in the early 18th century, she is living in London and has been raised by her father, who taught her how to use an abacus, with all intentions of one day being able to obtain a job as the best clerk. This hindered Mary's life as a Clerk's Job was a Male's job, not a female's job, and this because Mary's pitfall from the time she set out. She had been cruelly punished for being such a talented and smart lady.

However, Mary never gave up, she did whatever she could to make ends meet, and life was cruel to her, in many ways we can only try to imagine.

Mary meets Ikey, who makes a living as a pick pocket, and he is the one gives her the start in life that she has always hoped for, he gives her a job as a Clerk and they create numerous business adventures together.

Mary's story is amazingly heroic, it explores her journey from London to being transported to Australia, Van Diemens Land as a convict.

This book is the first of a trilogy.

I absolutely love love loved this book, Bryce Courtenay was an incredibly amazingly talented Author, this is a MUST read for every Australian.

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