Book description
Nicholas Duncan is a semi-retired shipping magnate who resides in
idyllic Beautiful Bay in Indonesia, where he is known as the old
patriarch of the islands. He is grieving the loss of his beautiful
Eurasian wife, Anna, and is suffering for the first time from
disturbing flashbacks to WWII, the scene of their first meeting and
early love. His other wartime lover is the striking Marg Hamilton, a
powerful and influential political player in Australia who has
remained close to Nick.
Marg suspects Nick is suffering the onset of Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder and organises for a specialist to meet with him in Sydney.
But when they meet, Tony Freedman stirs long-buried emotions in Nick
and the two men don't hit it off. Nick leaves in an explosion of anger
and finds himself in hospital after being hit by a car. Tony visits
and encourages Nick to write as a form of therapy - to write about Anna.
So he sets about writing about the woman who has inspired him since
his late teens, and in doing so draws us into the compelling tale of
the life he has lived post war-hero days building a shipping empire,
navigating international corruption, supporting his wife's third-world
education crusade and loving the women who inspire him.
Bryce Courtenay was born in South Africa and has lived in Sydney for
the major part of his life. He is the bestselling author of
The Power
of One, April Fool's Day, The Potato Factory, Tommo & Hawk,
Jessica, Solomon's Song, Smoky Joe's Caf , Four Fires, Brother Fish,
Whitethorn, Sylvia
and
The Persimmon Tree.
