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The Family Frying Pan
Mrs Moses is a small woman with a big heart and enormous courage. The only survivor of a Cossack raid on her village, she takes with her a big cast-iron frying pan, so heavy that she can only sling it over her back. Yet this is no ordinary frying pan - it's The Family Frying Pan, blessed with a Russian soul. From this frying pan Mrs Moses manages to feed the various refugees who are travelling with her across Russia to freedom. In return, each of the group must tell a story around the campfire at night - stories of compassion and bravery, of human frailty and, above all, of hope.
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First published January 1, 1997
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About the author
Bryce Courtenay
58 books2,305 followersArthur Bryce Courtenay, AM 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 9, 2019
There are two versions of The Family Frying Pan by Bryce Courtenay. While I will do a brief review under the other version, my main review, which encompasses both, is this one.
In his introduction of the new version, Courtenay describes the original as, 'a different-looking book, richly illustrated in colour and black and white by Ann Williams and with a recipe suggestion at the end of each story.'
It's a beautiful book and a unique reading experience, but apparently booksellers didn't know what to do with it, where to put it, and it didn't sell as well as expected, which is a shame because it's a truly lovely book.
Eventually Bryce Courtenay was convinced to somewhat rewrite it, take out the colour illustrations and recipes, rework the beginning and ending and shape it into your more typical novel. He says in the same introduction that, 'I must reluctantly conclude that I think this is the better of the two versions'. Many of the black and white images remain at the beginning of a new story, and I have to agree with him that the newer version is better.
I read the original version in one day, which speaks highly of it. When I went to write my review, I remembered my updated version had the information I've mentioned above, which I thought would be useful to share. I'd never read that version, and when I was reminded that it had being rewritten in parts, I decided to read the new beginning and end, and skim the stories once more. Skimming quickly turned into properly reading, and since they are fairly different, it does feel like it was worth the time.
The re-done beginning is very different. There aren't too many changes to the stories, though enough that I noticed. They flow better in some places and the odd thing has been clarified. The ending is similar but has been brought in line with the new opening. So, if you're interested in reading it for the first time, the updated version is probably the best, though I have to say I'm pleased to have both versions. And the full colour art in the original is simply stunning.
The book itself is simple in many ways. Mrs Moses survives a Cossack raid on her village, and armed with The Family Frying Pan, she and other refugees she meets along the way, walk across Russia in a bid for freedom. Each night they gather round the frying pan, contributing what they can for food, and sharing their stories. Each person has a tale to tell, about how they ended up in the group, why they are fleeing, where they are hoping to go.
It's wonderful storytelling, and that I essentially read it twice in two days helps convey how much I enjoyed it. It can be read by any competent reader I think, though it does contain much violence and sadness. Of course it does -- they aren't fleeing happy lives. No one is trekking across Russia for more than a year just for the fun of it. Not in this book anyway. But it does have humour, compassion and love as well.
Bryce Courtenay remains one of my favourite authors, and I have only a few of his books left to read, so am taking my time with what remains. As ever, I enjoyed this immensely.
In his introduction of the new version, Courtenay describes the original as, 'a different-looking book, richly illustrated in colour and black and white by Ann Williams and with a recipe suggestion at the end of each story.'
It's a beautiful book and a unique reading experience, but apparently booksellers didn't know what to do with it, where to put it, and it didn't sell as well as expected, which is a shame because it's a truly lovely book.
Eventually Bryce Courtenay was convinced to somewhat rewrite it, take out the colour illustrations and recipes, rework the beginning and ending and shape it into your more typical novel. He says in the same introduction that, 'I must reluctantly conclude that I think this is the better of the two versions'. Many of the black and white images remain at the beginning of a new story, and I have to agree with him that the newer version is better.
I read the original version in one day, which speaks highly of it. When I went to write my review, I remembered my updated version had the information I've mentioned above, which I thought would be useful to share. I'd never read that version, and when I was reminded that it had being rewritten in parts, I decided to read the new beginning and end, and skim the stories once more. Skimming quickly turned into properly reading, and since they are fairly different, it does feel like it was worth the time.
The re-done beginning is very different. There aren't too many changes to the stories, though enough that I noticed. They flow better in some places and the odd thing has been clarified. The ending is similar but has been brought in line with the new opening. So, if you're interested in reading it for the first time, the updated version is probably the best, though I have to say I'm pleased to have both versions. And the full colour art in the original is simply stunning.
The book itself is simple in many ways. Mrs Moses survives a Cossack raid on her village, and armed with The Family Frying Pan, she and other refugees she meets along the way, walk across Russia in a bid for freedom. Each night they gather round the frying pan, contributing what they can for food, and sharing their stories. Each person has a tale to tell, about how they ended up in the group, why they are fleeing, where they are hoping to go.
It's wonderful storytelling, and that I essentially read it twice in two days helps convey how much I enjoyed it. It can be read by any competent reader I think, though it does contain much violence and sadness. Of course it does -- they aren't fleeing happy lives. No one is trekking across Russia for more than a year just for the fun of it. Not in this book anyway. But it does have humour, compassion and love as well.
Bryce Courtenay remains one of my favourite authors, and I have only a few of his books left to read, so am taking my time with what remains. As ever, I enjoyed this immensely.
April 1, 2023
Bryce Courtenay has long been one of my favourite authors of all time. His stories are always so detailed and keep the reader actively involved as things progress through a variety of situations. There is nothing like reading his accounts of events, which usually take readers on a journey like no other. While this book differs greatly from many of the Courtenay novels I have read, it was still enjoyable and full of history. Said to be at least partially based on true events, Bryce Courtenay dazzles once more, this time in a series of short stories.
Mrs. Sarah Moses was a character like no other. Apparently the grandmother of Bruce Courtenay’s wife, the author recounts some of the unique things this woman of Russian heritage did as she fled the Motherland during the early push towards communism. Moses left with little, save the clothes on her back and a family frying pan, one that could create the most sensational meals and has absorbed all these stories. This is a collection of the stories Mrs. Moses collected during her time trying to flee war-torn Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.
While i will not recount each of the stories here, the detail in which Courtenay recounts each piece is stellar. Mrs. Moses not only gathered foods in the forest, but was able to gather stories and vignettes about the lives of those with whom she fled. Some told tales of wedding nights gone miss, while others spoke of having special gifts that they could use when the time was right, and others still spoke of far-off lands where thing were vastly different. All of these stories would be told around the fire, as Mrs. Moses’ frying pan created marvellous meals that would fill the bellies of those around her.
Each story is rich in Russian history and flavouring, offered up to provide the reader with some great entertainment. While many get quite deep into life of a Russian peasant, it permits the reader to see how others lived and the depth to which people pursued their passions. Bryce Courtenay, a bystander and self-professed transcriber of these stories, was able to breathe some life into the pieces, though he is sure that Mrs. Moses was a much better storyteller than he will ever be. If that’s the case, I would have loved to have met this woman!
It was recommended that I read something by Bryce Courtenay years ago. Since then, I have not been able to stop, devouring any and all books to which he puts his name. While the author has since passed away, his are surely some of the only stories that I can read repeatedly and never tire. I have my eye on a few longer and multi-volume stories, each of which offers up his tell-tale uniqueness, as well as a richness of narrative flow. This piece, which centres around Russia, is much different from the other pieces I have read, but is equally impactful. Great narrative foundation sets the tone and strong characters emerge throughout the piece. Mrs. Moses is the key narrator, but she also hands control over to her fellow travellers, who spin their own tales for all to hear. I can only wonder what it would have been like to live through these moments, but am offered something special with the writing of Bryce Courtenay. Many have panned (if you pardon the pun) this book, but I found it quite enjoyable, though not the typical Courtenay fare.
Kudos, Mr. Courtenay, for a unique story that helps us remember how much we have and the power of a good meal!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Mrs. Sarah Moses was a character like no other. Apparently the grandmother of Bruce Courtenay’s wife, the author recounts some of the unique things this woman of Russian heritage did as she fled the Motherland during the early push towards communism. Moses left with little, save the clothes on her back and a family frying pan, one that could create the most sensational meals and has absorbed all these stories. This is a collection of the stories Mrs. Moses collected during her time trying to flee war-torn Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.
While i will not recount each of the stories here, the detail in which Courtenay recounts each piece is stellar. Mrs. Moses not only gathered foods in the forest, but was able to gather stories and vignettes about the lives of those with whom she fled. Some told tales of wedding nights gone miss, while others spoke of having special gifts that they could use when the time was right, and others still spoke of far-off lands where thing were vastly different. All of these stories would be told around the fire, as Mrs. Moses’ frying pan created marvellous meals that would fill the bellies of those around her.
Each story is rich in Russian history and flavouring, offered up to provide the reader with some great entertainment. While many get quite deep into life of a Russian peasant, it permits the reader to see how others lived and the depth to which people pursued their passions. Bryce Courtenay, a bystander and self-professed transcriber of these stories, was able to breathe some life into the pieces, though he is sure that Mrs. Moses was a much better storyteller than he will ever be. If that’s the case, I would have loved to have met this woman!
It was recommended that I read something by Bryce Courtenay years ago. Since then, I have not been able to stop, devouring any and all books to which he puts his name. While the author has since passed away, his are surely some of the only stories that I can read repeatedly and never tire. I have my eye on a few longer and multi-volume stories, each of which offers up his tell-tale uniqueness, as well as a richness of narrative flow. This piece, which centres around Russia, is much different from the other pieces I have read, but is equally impactful. Great narrative foundation sets the tone and strong characters emerge throughout the piece. Mrs. Moses is the key narrator, but she also hands control over to her fellow travellers, who spin their own tales for all to hear. I can only wonder what it would have been like to live through these moments, but am offered something special with the writing of Bryce Courtenay. Many have panned (if you pardon the pun) this book, but I found it quite enjoyable, though not the typical Courtenay fare.
Kudos, Mr. Courtenay, for a unique story that helps us remember how much we have and the power of a good meal!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
September 8, 2019
A wonderful and unique book, beautifully illustrated by Ann Williams. I have written a more thorough review for this under the updated version of the book.
October 12, 2017
True tales from Russia simply told, which curiously makes the book very effective. Bryce Courtenay’s grandmother-in-law Mrs Moses is the inspiration for the stories, told around the campfire at night while dinner cooks in the frying pan of the title, as she and a motley band of people flee persecution and death in Russia. The book contains sadness and heartbreak, violence and death, but also love and hope.
May 18, 2016
Sort of a Chaucer's Canterbury Tales or Decameron for more modern times. Fascinating tale, beginning with the family frying pan tale, and followed by a variety of very diverse tales of each member of a group of travelers fleeing persecution, from different backgrounds, social strata, educational levels, you name it, each traveler as different as possible from the other, all united to flee (Russian) persecution and travel in some sort of safety to a new and better land. Absolutely love this book. I read it some yeaers ago, and just stumbled across it again. Still has to rate among one of my favorite top ten ever. If I could only write one novel, this would be the one I wished I could write.
Suggest finding the audio version, cause the dialects are wonderful! (bolinda audio books, melbourne australia)
Update May 2016. Finally bought - the book (autographed!) and the audio. Book have been updated and revised. Just hoping the revision is as good as the original - please!!
Suggest finding the audio version, cause the dialects are wonderful! (bolinda audio books, melbourne australia)
Update May 2016. Finally bought - the book (autographed!) and the audio. Book have been updated and revised. Just hoping the revision is as good as the original - please!!
December 2, 2012
what an exquisite book ..!! i'm not a bryce courtenay fan, but maybe, just maybe, i might become one.
i tried to read 'power of one' a while ago, but gave up, as it simply couldn't get into the book.
this book is based on true facts and it is written so beautifully - i completely fell in love with it ..!!
although i don't like short stories and these stories were originally written separately, he did a brilliant job to combine it into one book.
so maybe, just maybe, i will pick up 'power of one' again ...
i tried to read 'power of one' a while ago, but gave up, as it simply couldn't get into the book.
this book is based on true facts and it is written so beautifully - i completely fell in love with it ..!!
although i don't like short stories and these stories were originally written separately, he did a brilliant job to combine it into one book.
so maybe, just maybe, i will pick up 'power of one' again ...
February 24, 2018
An interesting story of some people escaping through Russia during the Tsar times. Small anecdotes of the people in the Group and what happened to them after also made it interesting.
November 7, 2019
Wonderful warm book you must read. Will put a warm smile on your face.
February 2, 2015
The Family Frying Pan is about a group of Jewish people fleeing pogroms in Russia, to a new life in America. Bryce Courtenay has a Jewish background from his great grandmother who as a child was the sole survivor when her village was razed by Cossacks. She escaped with the family frying pan. I loved the way each person in the group of travellers tells a story and a recipe is presented at the end of each chapter. The author is a master wordsmith. Inadvertently, these stories help to shed light on the source for so much Western antipathy for Russia beginning in America.
Quotes from book - 'in the Russia of the Tsars Jews were open season all the time'. 'Jews were in bondage to the Tsar and his bloodthirsty Cossacks'.
Cossacks: are an ethnic group originating in Ukraine, Caucuses, Poland and Lithuania. Recognising their military tradition the Tsars employed them for the army and police force. They were very loyal to the Tsars. Russian Revolution 1917 saw some Cossacks join the Bolsheviks, some remained with the Whites.
Pogroms: are anti Jewish riots. The first was in 1821 in Odessa in the Ukraine committed by Greeks following the assassination of the Greek Patriarch. Anti Jewish riots also occurred in UK (Limerick and Wales), Palestine, Argentina, Romania, Germany, Poland.
Russian led Pogroms: followed the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 because some Jews were blamed for it. Other triggers for pogrom riots were: issues concerning ancestral debts and money lending problems perpetrated by the Jewish moneylenders.
Next Tsar - Alexander III imposed harsh restrictions on Jews. The growing number of pogroms resulted in many deaths and intolerable deprivations. These led to large numbers of Jewish people emigrating to America.
Since 1651 Jewish people from many places settled in New York where they accumulated great wealth. In 1782 they were the founders of the New York Stock Exchange. America was seen as the land of hope and glory for these Jewish immigrants.
In 1905 a Jewish banker, Jacob Schiff bankrolled Japan to win the Russo Japanese war. This consortium included the banker JP Morgan, who is mentioned in the book....
I noted a couple of errors: on p 248 Anya and Mr Mendelsen are married in the Russian Orthodox Church in Boston. Not possible as he is Jewish. On p250 it refers to White Russian field mushrooms. Mushrooms are apolitical they can't be red or white Russian. Perhaps Bryce meant white field mushrooms in Russia. On p255 'simply the Nine Hundred Days' is not what Russians call the Siege of Leningrad. They call it 'The Blockade'.
Sources:
www.kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/odessa/...
Quotes from book - 'in the Russia of the Tsars Jews were open season all the time'. 'Jews were in bondage to the Tsar and his bloodthirsty Cossacks'.
Cossacks: are an ethnic group originating in Ukraine, Caucuses, Poland and Lithuania. Recognising their military tradition the Tsars employed them for the army and police force. They were very loyal to the Tsars. Russian Revolution 1917 saw some Cossacks join the Bolsheviks, some remained with the Whites.
Pogroms: are anti Jewish riots. The first was in 1821 in Odessa in the Ukraine committed by Greeks following the assassination of the Greek Patriarch. Anti Jewish riots also occurred in UK (Limerick and Wales), Palestine, Argentina, Romania, Germany, Poland.
Russian led Pogroms: followed the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 because some Jews were blamed for it. Other triggers for pogrom riots were: issues concerning ancestral debts and money lending problems perpetrated by the Jewish moneylenders.
Next Tsar - Alexander III imposed harsh restrictions on Jews. The growing number of pogroms resulted in many deaths and intolerable deprivations. These led to large numbers of Jewish people emigrating to America.
Since 1651 Jewish people from many places settled in New York where they accumulated great wealth. In 1782 they were the founders of the New York Stock Exchange. America was seen as the land of hope and glory for these Jewish immigrants.
In 1905 a Jewish banker, Jacob Schiff bankrolled Japan to win the Russo Japanese war. This consortium included the banker JP Morgan, who is mentioned in the book....
I noted a couple of errors: on p 248 Anya and Mr Mendelsen are married in the Russian Orthodox Church in Boston. Not possible as he is Jewish. On p250 it refers to White Russian field mushrooms. Mushrooms are apolitical they can't be red or white Russian. Perhaps Bryce meant white field mushrooms in Russia. On p255 'simply the Nine Hundred Days' is not what Russians call the Siege of Leningrad. They call it 'The Blockade'.
Sources:
www.kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/odessa/...
February 11, 2015
I have always enjoyed books by Bryce Courtenay. This one is no exception.
It was originally written as a series of short stories. This worried me at first since I am not a lover of short story books. However, Courtenay was asked to put them together in such a way to make it a novel. Even the author thought the finished product was better than the previous one.
I couldn't agree more! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Yes, there are many other stories in it, but each one has a purpose and connection to the big story.
Courtenay has a way with words. He is easy to read and paints such vivid pictures.
I was sorry when it came to an end.
It was originally written as a series of short stories. This worried me at first since I am not a lover of short story books. However, Courtenay was asked to put them together in such a way to make it a novel. Even the author thought the finished product was better than the previous one.
I couldn't agree more! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Yes, there are many other stories in it, but each one has a purpose and connection to the big story.
Courtenay has a way with words. He is easy to read and paints such vivid pictures.
I was sorry when it came to an end.
May 13, 2019
Based on fact, this fictional story is about Mrs Moses, the grandmother of Bryce Courtney's wife.
Mrs Moses and her frying pan set out on a walking journey to freedom to escape Russia's cruelty. Along the way the frying pan is used to cook very basic meals to sustain the group of weary eclectic travellers. Night after night the travellers reveal their personal history through a series of individual stories while the day's gathering of basic food items cook on a fire in Mrs Moses's frying pan.
From salting Beluga caviar to caring for people's feet, the backgrounds of the travellers make for intriguing reading.
The conclusion will leave a smile on the face of all readers.
Very interesting and enjoyable.
Mrs Moses and her frying pan set out on a walking journey to freedom to escape Russia's cruelty. Along the way the frying pan is used to cook very basic meals to sustain the group of weary eclectic travellers. Night after night the travellers reveal their personal history through a series of individual stories while the day's gathering of basic food items cook on a fire in Mrs Moses's frying pan.
From salting Beluga caviar to caring for people's feet, the backgrounds of the travellers make for intriguing reading.
The conclusion will leave a smile on the face of all readers.
Very interesting and enjoyable.
October 8, 2025
I had read part of this book before in the small red cover format. It did have more pictures and recipes, Bryce Courtenay did say this book is a s better version of the story.
Mrs Moses and her very Jewish language is funny and quirky. The stories are heartfelt and enchanting. How this group of ragged misfits escaped the horrors of oppression, bigotry, starvation, class distinctions, and family rejection in Russia at this time in history is difficult to understand. I'm so glad I read this whole book.
Sadly, the world is not too different today. Mrs Moses, at the time she relates her story, is only sixteen. The others in the group have led harsh lives at his point, and when they see Mrs Moses survive an attack by the Cossacks, she is revered and asked to lead them out of Russia.
Mrs Moses and her very Jewish language is funny and quirky. The stories are heartfelt and enchanting. How this group of ragged misfits escaped the horrors of oppression, bigotry, starvation, class distinctions, and family rejection in Russia at this time in history is difficult to understand. I'm so glad I read this whole book.
Sadly, the world is not too different today. Mrs Moses, at the time she relates her story, is only sixteen. The others in the group have led harsh lives at his point, and when they see Mrs Moses survive an attack by the Cossacks, she is revered and asked to lead them out of Russia.
December 31, 2021
Mrs Moses is a character that stays with you long after you close the pages of the book. The stories are told around the campfire at night while dinner cooks in the frying pan of the title, as she and a motley crew of people flee persecution, hardship and death in Russia. This story takes you on a ride of sadness and heartbreak, violence, death, but also love, hope, and compassion.
This book is a hidden gem!
This book is a hidden gem!
July 21, 2023
I was disappointed. There is a group of Russians trying to escape and bonded by eating out of the Family Frying Pan. Each character gave their backstory. The backstories were interesting and grabbed my attention, but the rest of the book just skips over any drama or just anything. The entire book is just each character telling the story of their life and then nothing.
I felt as though I have wasted 3 hours of my life on this book.
I felt as though I have wasted 3 hours of my life on this book.
January 25, 2020
The stories in this book were fascinating but I was left wanting more of them. Each character was a novel in their own right. I love the symbolism of the frying pan - how it was all she saved, it saved her, the stories told around it, and the meaning it held for the family. This book was unlike any of his other books.
May 24, 2021
Struggled with this book. I am a fan of Courtney, but just couldn’t get into a rhythm with this book - until the last 3rd of the book....
The description of Siberia is pure poetry - wonderful writing. It redeemed the whole of the preceding parts I had struggled with. And so too, the summary tales at the close of the book. Lovely.
The description of Siberia is pure poetry - wonderful writing. It redeemed the whole of the preceding parts I had struggled with. And so too, the summary tales at the close of the book. Lovely.
September 11, 2021
This is a fantastic book.
It was a real page turner.
The writing was concise, making a lovely and fast storytelling.
I enjoyed all of the characters that had the spotlight.
There was a moment (quite a few pages of a moment) where it had me in tears (quite a few tears) from such incredible beauty through incredible tragedy.
Absolutely recommend this book!
It was a real page turner.
The writing was concise, making a lovely and fast storytelling.
I enjoyed all of the characters that had the spotlight.
There was a moment (quite a few pages of a moment) where it had me in tears (quite a few tears) from such incredible beauty through incredible tragedy.
Absolutely recommend this book!
July 2, 2021
This was an interesting, inter-related group of short stories that were filled with historical factors of Russia during the reign of the Tzar. Some of the stories were better than others and were rich in detail. Enjoyable and an easy read.
August 9, 2021
Beautifully written stories combined to make a beautifully written book. Sadness, happiness, despair, hope.. all contained in the stories in this book, shared around a very solid frying pan. Bryce Courtney's books are always amazing reads
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July 10, 2023One of my favs. Love the fact that a simple object can bring people together. The frying pan provides a meal contributed to by the strangers fleeing the pogroms in Russia. The evening meals around the frying pan also provide connection, story telling, a purpose to keep going and help one another.
September 29, 2025
It has pictures!!! So short can read within an hr or so. The story telling structure in this book is unique. What other book has a narrative dictated by what’s cooking in the fry pan? Especially appreciate the touch of supernatural amongst the war story grit. Mermaids always help.
August 16, 2018
吾友多年前在 anobii 撈評價好的書，第一名就是這本，所以我也跟著買了（然後也順便推了很多人看）。
這本短篇故事集很好讀，也算好吃，這次重看最喜歡〈過往苦難與未來喜樂之宴〉和〈擁有白鍠之舌的鐵匠〉，結局的話，最愛〈阿拉伯的勞倫斯與貝都因人的貓鞋〉；覺得缺點是篇名中有四季的那兩篇，感覺上都有點突兀，尤其是開頭那個（太詩意了……）
這本短篇故事集很好讀，也算好吃，這次重看最喜歡〈過往苦難與未來喜樂之宴〉和〈擁有白鍠之舌的鐵匠〉，結局的話，最愛〈阿拉伯的勞倫斯與貝都因人的貓鞋〉；覺得缺點是篇名中有四季的那兩篇，感覺上都有點突兀，尤其是開頭那個（太詩意了……）
January 11, 2018
Loved this book. So many stories within the lovely story of Bryce’s wife’s family. It had a delicate touch that I’ve not read in any of Bryce’s other book.
Just exquisite.
Just exquisite.
February 23, 2019
Was easy to read, lots of short stories joined up to make one interesting read.
June 11, 2019
Quite enjoyed the short stories format of this book, there were some good stories here.
May 6, 2020
Wonderful Russian stories! I only wish I could have the book with the recipes!
August 4, 2020
Listened to this as an audiobook
July 1, 2021
I enjoyed this read. It was easy to pick up and read each story. It was a whole bunch of smaller interconnected stories.It was the right read for the moment.
August 19, 2021
I loved this book. Lots of stories in one book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews