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Smoky Joe's Cafe

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Smoky Joe's Cafe

By: Bryce Courtenay
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
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About this listen

Thommo returns from Vietnam to an Australia that regards him as a mercenary guilty of war crimes. He begins to develop all kinds of physical and mental problems, and thinks it must only be him until he finds he is not alone. Ten mates, all who remain of his platoon who fought and died in the Battle of Long Tan, are affected the same way.

Now Thommo and his mates are eleven angry men out for revenge. They rope in an ex-Viet Cong with 'special skills' and his own secret agenda. They're the 'Dirty Dozen', just like the movie. Only it's real life, and they're so screwed up they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. That is, until a woman of character steps in.

©2013 Bryce Courtenay. By arrangement with Penguin Books Australia Ltd. Christine Courtenay (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pyt Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

Critic Reviews

"Humphrey Bower is Thommo, stressed-out Aussie Vietnam vet. His pace is frantic, his language raw, his accent spot-on. Thommo and his fellow vets grow marijuana to benefit Thommo's leukemia-stricken daughter and other children damaged by Agent Orange. The project is a huge success. All the characters are memorable, especially Thommo's wife, owner of the titular café, and the brains behind these operations. The final chapter is read in the voice of Thommo's daughter. Not all the jargon will be familiar to Statesiders, but that shouldn't matter." (AudioFile Magazine)

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smokie joes

awesome story, would make a great movie
written with the help of veterans and wives

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Short, but powerful story

Really good story, far from the author’s best, though still engaging and quite emotional at the end. Wonderful narration as always from Humphrey Bower.

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Mary-Anne

Absolutely LOVED .this story. Would now be one of my favorite Bryce Courtney stories

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Profile Image for Michele Goodyer

Another ripper by Bryce!

Bryce’s writings paint a picture, so thoroughly researched and beautifully written you escape into the story. Smokey Joe’s Cafe made me laugh, cry, angry. A book of fiction, but not!

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Not my sort of book.

The narrator did an amazing job telling this story but I can't say I loved the story as I didn't. I can say that the story most likely portrayed happenings that occurred after the Vietnam war.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.