Sylvia is Bryce Courtenay‘s historical novel about that most tragic of mediaeval religious episodes: the Children’s Crusade. Sylvia is a young German mädchen, who undergoes the usual horrors an attractive young female undergoes in the beginning of a Bryce Courtenay novel. But this doesn’t break her back, instead imbuing her with resolve and steeling her will. She learns Latin, Greek and Hebrew, thoroughly confounding those who believe that peasants are barely subhuman, especially female ones. However, she is blessed with a piscine birthmark on her back, one that saves her hide over and over again, when witnessed by the extraordinarily superstitious and religious folk of the Dark Ages.

The travails of the ragtag mob that go on to form the Children’s Crusade are depicted with typical Courtenay-esque brutality and frankness. The church officials are shown as they probably were: some swinish louts interested only in lustful conquests and pecuniary cupidity, some genuinely good and believing in kindness to others. Sylvia is a constant reminder of how peasants and women were treated before the Enlightenment and arguably, until universal suffrage was granted. Read this one for a glimpse into the Dark Ages and a good laugh at the incredible credulity of the times.

ISBN: 978-1-55278-672-7

Bryce Courtenay is in many ways a mini James Michener. His books have that quality of sweeping through periods of time that one might find historically relevant and his characters are imbued with traits that endear them to you. The Potato Factory is about that great metropolis that once was the centre of the realm: London. In its darkened alleys and scurrilous cobblestones, Solomon Ikey is Fagin. He runs an academy for pickpockets and is a master fence, the Prince of Thieves. His various ventures are all nefarious to the core, but perhaps none more so than forgery, a crime for which its either the noose or hard time in the colonies. Ikey’s friend is Mary, a slip of a maid who’s realized that for those who don’t bathe with rosewater everyday, life can be nasty, brutish and short. She is tough and determined to survive, despite being gang-raped and having her hands crushed by an angry mob, all for daring to use an abacus.

Ikey’s found guilty and sent to Australia, where further trials and tribulations await. Several other elements are added to the mix, making the book a good literary jaunt into 19th century Australia. Courtenay is adept at creating characters you empathize with, although sometimes the plot smacks of a little too much deus ex machina. Bryce is true to the spirit of the times and the social conditions are well depicted, with their inherent volatility and entrenched racism.There is a happy ending and the protagonists are able to enjoy their just repasts of peace and prosperity. Read this one for a semi-historical look into the near past, with fictional characters loosely based off a masterpiece by a real master.

ISBN: 978-1-55278-014-5