Knockabout Girl: A Memoir

When 23–year–old Pip Newling arrived in the remote West Australian town of Halls Creek, the locals gave her 24 hours – tops – before she'd be back on the bus to Sydney. But Pip stayed – and as she served beers, shared jokes and swapped stories with the townspeople, she discovered a side of Australia most of us never get to see.

From the tragic to the sublime to the downright ridiculous, KNOCKABOUT GIRL is a compelling, confronting journey into a heart of ribald darkness. Quick–witted and always ready with a grin, Pip takes us beyond the stereotypes with humour and compassion. We meet Sunny, Pip's exuberant partner in crime, and Jean–Paul, the fabulous French hairdresser whose dry sardonic wit matches the dfyness of the desert. There's Harry, the Shakespeare–quoting prospector, and Eric, the local playboy with a disturbing history.

Throw in a riot, a rodeo and a couple of road–tripping nuns and you're starting to get the picture...