Whitethorn
Whitethorn by Bryce Courtenay is a historical fiction novel published by Penguin Group Australia on January 8, 2007. This first edition spans 682 pages and is presented in English. Set in 1939, the story unfolds in a divided South Africa, where the Afrikaner community is fervently opposed to the English amidst the backdrop of an impending global conflict.
Readers will follow the journey of six-year-old Tom Fitzsaxby, who finds himself in The Boys Farm orphanage, facing ostracism due to his English name. As Tom navigates the complexities of racial tensions and personal challenges, he learns vital lessons about survival and justice. The narrative explores themes of belonging and love against the harsh realities of a divided nation, reflecting the historical context of the time.
Official synopsis Publisher
From Bryce Courtenay comes a new novel about Africa. The time is 1939. White South Africa is a deeply divided nation with many of the Afrikaner people fanatically opposed to the English.
The world is also on the brink of war and South Africa elects to fight for the Allied cause against Germany. Six-year-old Tom Fitzsaxby finds himself in The Boys Farm, an orphanage in a remote town in the high mountains, where the Afrikaners side fiercely with Hitler’s Germany.
Tom’s English name proves sufficient for him to be ostracised, marking him as an outsider. And so begin some of life’s tougher lessons for the small, lonely boy. Like the whitethorn, one of Africa’s most enduring plants, Tom learns how to survive in the harsh climate of racial hatred. Then a terrible event sends him on a journey to ensure that justice is done. On the way, his most unexpected discovery is love.
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