Written by the Australian author Bryce Courtenay in 1989, The Power of One became a huge success, being translated into 18 languages, selling more than eight million copies, and transforming into a Hollywood film. It is categorized as a Bildungsroman (a story that revolves around a characters life from youth to adulthood), Historical novel and is set during the mid 20th century. The book’s publishers include Heinemann (Australia) and Random House (U.S.), printed in both hardcover and paperback editions.
Set at 576 pages, the novel follows the story of a young English boy called Peekay who lives in South Africa. His mother becomes mentally ill and cannot live with him any longer, so Peekay is left to the hands of the “Zulu” nurses there. His dream is to become a welterweight boxing champion, but after being sent off to boarding school, he is faced with many challenges; he gets bullied because he is a white English boy in an African country, Nazi sympathizers target him saying that Hitler will “march the English out to sea”, and his small size discourages him from his boxing champion dreams. His whole life is a challenge, and is artfully documented throughout the novel.
The Power of One is written in the first person perspective with a grown up Peekay looking back on his life. It’s noted to be written with more “thoughts and feelings” rather than the more common description of settings and recollection of actions. Through reflection, contemplation, and observation, Peekay learns many lessons that shape his life and makes him into the person he later becomes.
The book was adapted into a PG-13 film in 1992, three years after its original publication. In the film, Peekay’s given name is revealed to be Peter Philip Kenneth-Keith. “Peekay” or “PK” was a nickname he was given by the South Africans that translates to “pisshead”. Directed by John G. Avildsen, the film currently has an average rating of 5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.2/10 on IMDb. It’s final box office was $2.827 million in the U.S.
This being Bryce Courtenay’s most successful novel, it is seen as an inspirational story that, although has some dark aspects, lifts readers up and inspires them to push through hard times and to never give up on a dream.
