The Power of One

Upon retirement, I inadvertently set a goal to read a book a week. I'll try to catch you up on the three that I've read already.

The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay.

I remember watching this movie when I was younger, and thought it was a good flick. And then I was on a date last year, and we were meandering through a book store (which, turns out it's appealing when I guy has at least read something in the last little while, which this young chap had not done, although it is nice to feel really smart. Pick your battles, right?) and I saw this book. I didn't know it was a book! So, a few days after the date, I went and bought it. I figured it would be wise of me to not pay for it in his presence. Although I could have gotten him to buy it...hmm...

Anyway, I read it and loved it. Especially the sweat words. I shouldn't find happiness in those kinds of things, but I do.

It's a historical fiction about a boy growing up in South Africa during apartheid. This is a hard subject for me. But he ended up going to a boarding school and getting picked on, and then one day he discovered this power that he had inside of himself to conquer anything. And he does. The rest of the book is about how he struggled, but gained some great experiences along the way. He became a boxer, and oh, I can't tell too much. It was a good read.

Here's what it says on the back: in 1939, as Hitler casts his enormous, cruel shadow across the world, the seeds of apartheid take root in South Africa. There, a boy called Peekay is born. His childhood is marked by humiliation and abandonment, yet he vows to survive and conceives heroic dreams - which are nothing compared to what life actually has in store for him. He embarks on an epic journey through a land of tribal superstition and modern prejudice where he will learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the power of one.

Put a little bit better than me...:0)