Author(s): Bryce Courtenay

Audio

First with your head and then with your heart... So says Hoppie Groenewald, boxing champion, to a 7-year-old boy who dreams of being the welterweight champion of the world. For the young Peekay, it is a piece of advice he will carry with him throughout life. Born in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred, this one small boy will come to lead all the tribes of Africa. Through enduring friendships with Hymie and Gideon, Peekay gains the strength he needs to win out. And in a final conflict with his childhood enemy, the Judge, Peekay will fight to the death for justice...Tandia is a child of all Africa: half Indian, half African, beautiful and intelligent, she is only sixteen when she is first brutalised by the police. Her fear of the white man leads her to join the black resistance movement. With her in the fight for justice is the one white man Tandia can trust, the welterweight champion of the world, Peekay. Now he must fight their common enemy in order to save both their lives. A compelling story of good and evil from Australia's most popular storyteller, Bryce Courtenay.In this sweeping novel of Africa, in all its power, beauty and savagery, Bryce Courtenay captures the life of a child and the life of a nation. Whitethorn is a book about tragedy and joy, about love and hatred, and about a boy called Tom who will not rest until justice is done. From the author of Brother Fish and The Power of One comes another moving story you won't forget.