The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is a coming of age story about Peekay, a British child growing up in South Africa in the Would War II era. Peekay is an exceptionally bright and wise child who astonishes everyone who he meets during his life. He also has the special gift of seeing things for what they really are, and not seeing things the way his culture, society, and family tells him he should see things. However, his main ambition in life is to become the welterweight boxing champion of the world, and the story follows Peekay as he works towards his ultimate goal in life.

This was a really wonderful book, however, it isn’t a book that you can just race through. I also do not recommend trying to read it amongst other books (like I did), or only read once in awhile (also, like I did). It’s such an involved story, with so many different characters that it’s one of those books that you will want to sit down and carefully read in order to involve yourself with Peekay’s story.

It is beautifully written and it’s hard not to become emotionally involved. The heart breaking passages will make you want to cry, the joyous passages will make you want to dance around your living room and even the more neutral passages will suck you in so you won’t want to put the book down.

I do believe I will, one day, read this book again without the many distractions that I had reading this book. Even in the start/stop way I read this book, I got so much out of it and I can only imagine how great I will find the book when I put my full attention into it.