> Skip to content
  • Published: 5 January 2009
  • ISBN: 9780143007005
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 720
  • RRP: $24.95

The Persimmon Tree




Set among the Pacific islands and in the Indian Ocean, The Persimmon Tree tells the very personal and often romantic stories of men and women caught up in larger events - in this case starting with the Japanese invasion of Java and the Dutch exodus of the region. The story spans from 1942 and the fall of Singapore and the American landings at Guadalcanal to the ongoing fight against the Japanese for supremacy in the region. The story follows the fortunes of a colourful cast of characters, in particular young Nicholas Duncan ('the butterfly collector') and his sweetheart, the Eurasian/Dutch girl, Anna Van Heerden. Following Nicholas and Anna through dangerous and exciting times, the story concludes some fifty years later, when the dynamics of the Pacific region have changed forever.

  • Published: 5 January 2009
  • ISBN: 9780143007005
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 720
  • RRP: $24.95

About the author

Bryce Courtenay

The Late Bryce Courtenay 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.

Also by Bryce Courtenay

See all

Praise for The Persimmon Tree

The Persimmon Tree is a sprawling wartime romance ... If you're a Courtenay fan, you won't be disappointed by the generosity of his imagination.

The Age

You can't keep a good story down when it's flowing from the pen of Bryce Courtenay. This one is set in Indonesia in 1942 and fairly brims with drama and tragedy as it reflects on the effects of war and love.

Sunday Times

This is Courtenay at the peak of his storytelling powers. It will keep you turning the pages much longer into the night than is strictly healthy. Unputdownable.

Townsville Bulletin