Promotional Information

From Australia's bestselling author.

About the Author

Bryce Courtenay (1933–2012) was the bestselling author of The Power of One, Tandia, April Fool's Day, The Potato Factory, Tommo & Hawk, Solomon's Song, Jessica, A Recipe for Dreaming, The Family Frying Pan, The Night Country, Smoky Joe's Cafe, Four Fires, Matthew Flinders' Cat, Brother Fish, Whitethorn, Sylvia, The Persimmon Tree, Fishing for Stars, The Story of Danny Dunn, Fortune Cookie, Jack of Diamonds and The Silver Moon: Reflections and Stories on Life, Death and Writing. The Power of One is also available in an edition for younger readers, and Jessica has been made into an award-winning television miniseries. He wrote his first book, The Power of One, at the age of fifty-five. This became the largest-selling book by a living Australian author within Australia, with over half a million copies sold locally. Humphrey Bower is a gifted and versatile actor. Since obtaining a BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature at Oxford University, he has worked extensively in theatre, television and audiobook narration. Humphrey won the prestigious Audie Award (US) for his performance of The Family Frying Pan by Bryce Courtenay, and was shortlisted for an Audie Award for his performances of Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan and Brother Fish by Bryce Courtenay. Humphrey's sensitive and intelligent readings are highly regarded and he is well-known for his capacity to perform a variety of accents.

Reviews

"Bryce Courtenay's novels are huge bestsellers in his adopted country of Australia. In fact, he is the most popular 'popular novelist' down under. Matthew Flinders' Cat is his most recent. It is two stories in one—the tale of how the friendship between an engaging alcoholic-lawyer-become-street-person (Billy O'Shannessy) and an equally engaging, but troubled, boy (Ryan) ultimately saves them both. And it's the tale told by Billy to Ryan of Trim, the cat that sailed with Australia's great explorer, Matthew Flinders. Humphrey Bower reads terrifically. He infuses the wide range of characters with personality, including the well-educated Billy (sober and drunk), Ryan, with his mask of cool, a sad aboriginal, a hardened barmaid. And he reads the story of Trim, beautifully, in Billy's voice. Well done."
*AudioFile Magazine*