''The Potato Factory'' is a 1995 fictionalised historical novel by

Bryce Courtenay Arthur Bryce Courtenay, (14 August 1933 – 22 November 2012) was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book '' The Power of One''. Background and early ye ...

, which was made into a four-part miniseries in Australia in 2000. The book is the first in a three-part series, followed by ''

Tommo & Hawk Arthur Bryce Courtenay, (14 August 1933 – 22 November 2012) was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book '' The Power of One''. Background and early ye ...

'' and ''

Solomon's Song ''Solomon's Song'' is the final novel in the Australian Trilogy by author Bryce Courtenay. It follows the novels ''The Potato Factory ''The Potato Factory'' is a 1995 fictionalised historical novel by Bryce Courtenay, which was made into a ...

''. ''The Potato Factory'' has been the subject of some controversy regarding its historical accuracy and its portrayal of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

characters. The book is based on

Ikey Solomon Isaac "Ikey" Solomon (1787? – 1850) was a British criminal who acted as a receiver of stolen property. His well-publicised crimes, escape from arrest, recapture and trial led to his transportation to the Australian penal colony of Van Diemen's ...

, known as the "Prince of Fences" and the basis of the

Fagin Fagin is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. In the preface to the novel, he is described as a "receiver of stolen goods". He is the leader of a group of children (the Artful Dod ...

character in the

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

novel ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

''. Courtenay states that it is a fictional historical novel based on extensive research, but it depicts fictionalised versions of the characters. Author Judith Sackville-O'Donnell, who wrote another book on Solomon, claimed that the book was inaccurate and

anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

. The book's other main characters are Solomon's wife, Hannah, and his (fictional) mistress, Mary Abacus. Abacus goes from serving girl, to prostitute, to high-class madam, to prisoner transported to Tasmania, to successful businesswoman. She gets her name for her outstanding ability to use an

abacus The abacus (''plural'' abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool which has been used since ancient times. It was used in the ancient Near East, Europe, China, and Russia, centuries before the adoption of the Hin ...

. The story starts in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in the early 19th century. Abacus and Ikey Solomon start working together as business partners. It follows them as they are separately sent to Tasmania, a

penal colony A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer to ...

at the time. Abacus takes up the art of brewing and establishes a pub called The Potato Factory while raising her children by Solomon. Meanwhile, Hannah, who also has children, views Abacus as her bitter rival. The book tells of Hannah's attempts to destroy Abacus.

References

External links

The Potato Factory at the National Film and Sound Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potato Factory, The 1995 Australian novels 1990s Australian television miniseries 1995 Australian television series debuts 1995 Australian television series endings 1995 television films 1995 films Australian historical novels Novels by Bryce Courtenay Novels set in London Novels set in Tasmania Heinemann (publisher) books Novels set in the 19th century