Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Persimmon Tree cover art

The Persimmon Tree

By: Bryce Courtenay
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $43.99

Buy Now for $43.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

A sweeping saga from Bryce Courtenay, Australia's most popular author.

The Persimmon Tree opens in Indonesia in 1942 on the cusp of Japanese invasion and the evacuation of Batavia (Jakarta) by the Dutch. Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Duncan is on holiday there, in pursuit of an exotic butterfly known as the Magpie Crow. It's an uncertain, dangerous time to be in Indonesia, and Nick's options of getting out are fast dwindling. Amidst the fear and chaos he falls in love with Anna, the beautiful daughter of a Dutch acquaintance, and she nicknames him 'Mr Butterfly'.

To assist in the escape, Anna's father gifts Nick his prized yacht, Vlermuis, to sail to Australia. Singapore has just fallen, the Japanese have made it to Sumatra, and the waters are dangerous. Vlermuis is not long out of Batavia when Nick is forced ashore for repairs. He witnesses the bloody execution of shipwrecked Allied soldiers by natives, and while burying what's left of the bodies, Nick notices one wounded soldier has escaped death, and he carries him back to his yacht.

The rescued soldier is a lower-class Irish Catholic American called Kevin Judge. He has no sailing experience, but he assists Nick in navigating through some dramatic storms and the two form an unlikely and lifelong friendship.

©2007 Bryce Courtenay; 2013 Christine Courtenay (P)2007 Bolinda Publishing

More from the same

What listeners say about The Persimmon Tree

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    354
  • 4 Stars
    74
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    368
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    313
  • 4 Stars
    74
  • 3 Stars
    18
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars

Sad but beautiful

This book had me in tears on more than one occasion. An author that can produce raw emotion like that is a genius in my opinion.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very pleasant listening to this book.

Bryce Courtney, well, what can you say! Brilliant writer, great story line, interesting characters, funny and witty. Narrator Andrew Bower is superb, swapping effortlessly from each character with the accent, personality and feeling all balanced together to create a genuine relationship with each and every character in this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

another fabulous Bryce Courtenay story

historical, romantic, emotional, and captivating this book has it all. Narrated by the talented and versatile Humphrey Bower, this cleaver story is well worth listening too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great yarn. Well performed.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I am looking forward to listening to book two.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

thoroughly enjoyed this book

I really enjoyed this book found it hard to put aside until I could listen again. besides enjoyable story very informative, about life in the islands during WW11

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perhaps one of the best novels I have read

Bryce Courtney, alas no more, is one of the New World's great writers. As always, he paints detailed pictures of his characters who are believable and sufficiently complex to be interesting. This is my third of the books of his and I have listened to on Audible and I am simply in awe of his writing in this one. I learned a lot, felt a lot and was riveted by the story. I could hardly stop listening to this novel and was sorry - even after 27 hours - it ended at all. He writes somewhat like Dickens with passion and detail, pushing you back in time until you feel like an observing bystander. He is more contemporary in style and in each instance writes about a different era.

Humphrey Bower - his regular - was an almost faultless narrator on this occasion. He excelled this time and added immensely to the writing like few could. Amazing characterisations of either sex. I believed every one of them, What a great team they made.

I really recommend this book highly. It is a GREAT book. How nice to leave such a legacy of work behind like this. A man of many talents, modern for his day, and yet he will be remembered mostly for his writing I am sure.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding, as always!

What did you like most about The Persimmon Tree?

Amazing and original storyline, could NOT stop listening!

What did you like best about this story?

Humphrey Bower manages to make these books come to life. A great book is only as good as its narrator.

Have you listened to any of Humphrey Bower’s other performances? How does this one compare?

He is a wonderful narrator. I have thoroughly enjoyed ALL of his many narrations.

Any additional comments?

A perfect ending that made me buy the sequel "Fishing for Stars" immediately!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Engrossing

Written by a master craftsman and an entertaining story-teller. It's a great read/listen. Superb narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I wanted it to be true

The book was great. Great story line and interesting characters. The narration was exceptional, with a great variety of accents and clear pronunciation of foreign words.

Very likable all around

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enthralling!

I have always lived Bryce Courtenay's books & this book didn't let me down. The narrator was outstanding!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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.