A Long Way from Home
In 1953, Irene Bobs and her husband, Titch, leave their young children at home to enter the brutal Australian open road race known as the Redex Trial. Irene drives better than most men. Titch buys and sells cars for a living and knows how to fix them. The Bobs’ neighbor, Willie, is an unemployed teacher, radio quiz show champion, and a map expert. He joins them as navigator.
What starts as a risky and exciting round-the-continent competition turns into much more. The great race tests Irene’s and Titch’s marriage and love for their children. It strains her complicated relationships with her older sister and with her zany swindler father-in-law. Willie’s own complex past catches up with him on the trek and ties into the racism of the continent’s white settlers. Australia is a hard land. Its weather and treacherous terrain, its self-reliant characters, and the horrid plight of aboriginals—present and past—take on increasing significance.
Carey’s historical details, from auto breakdowns and rescues to Aussie and Aboriginal dialogue, all ring true. His prose fits the fast-paced story. This rich novel packs a lot into just over 300 pages. Some readers will struggle to identify the narrator in many point of view switches and to follow the story lines across sometimes rapidly changing time periods. For those who stick with it, the effort is rewarded.
