Fiction

A Long Way From Home by Peter Carey (Faber & Faber)

Two-time Booker Prize winner Carey uses one of Australia’s most famous endurance races, the Redex Trial, to chart the growing pains of a nation as it grapples with its past and the long reach of empire. Knitted into the narrative is a story about the knottiness of love and hate, told by Irene Bobbsey and Willie Bachhuber, neighbours who become driver and navigator as they embark on an adventure that confronts obstacles both physical and psychological. Thus Carey carves out an entertaining road trip that is love story, adventure yarn and social commentary without ever losing sight of the finish line.