Missy served a buffet of foods with a connection to our book. The chicken salad was to honor Granpa Chook, and the sweet potato chips were because of Peekay's love of sweet potatoes. Fruit salad represented the tropical rain forest. She baked a delicious chocolate cake for dessert (remember the cake in a tin on the train?). She even had a vase of roses for Peekay's grandfather's rose garden.
We learned of the somewhat autobiographical account of the author's life through his writings. He was born illegitimately in South Africa. His mother was a dressmaker who suffered a series of nervous breakdowns, and his grandfather loved books and grew roses. He was in an orphanage for some time where he was bullied everyday, and he even worked as a grizzly in a mine in Rhodesia. He learned and used the power of storytelling in his life. He wrote what he knew and told his story.
We discussed at great length the meaning of the power of one. Some felt it expressed one's power to deal with issues and adversity themselves. Others saw the power of one as the effect that one person can have on an individual, like the people who impacted Peekay's life, one at a time (Doc, Hoppie, Morrie, Geel Piet, Mrs. Boxall, Miss Bornstien, etc.)
We learned of a sequel to the book, as well as a movie. The movie may be too graphic to watch. Morgan Freeman plays Geel Piet in the movie. Missy played a YouTube video of some of the movie's soundtrack.
The book was well-received by most with scores ranging from 7.42 to 9 (out of 10). Note that some accidentally read the young adult version which is an abbreviated version of Book One. The full version has just over 500 pages, and also includes a Book Two and Book Three.
Missy shared information from "The world of Bryce Courtenay"
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