Ten-year-old Chook knows something is wrong when his father, Kev, bundles him into the car in the middle of the night, leaving their friend Max white-faced, silent and covered in blood.
As the two head for Broken Hill, in the hope of hiding out with one of Kev′s old girlfriends, the fierce bond between father and son is tested by Chook′s memories of previous hasty exits. But the good times fast recede as they face life on the run.
After finding refuge in an old mosque, Kev heads off for supplies. He returns after a disastrous night in the town and finds his son in the company of a young woman who has come to the mosque to pray. From here a bad situation suddenly gets a whole lot worse ...
Last Ride is the fast-paced and profoundly moving story of a man who has lived defiantly outside the laws of society, the tough choices his son is forced to make, and the power and price of love.
′starts hard and fast and keeps going, tackling bends without losing control ... impressive′ Weekend Australian
′A poignant and sometimes chilling story of displacement, violence and the redemptive power of love. Not one note.′ Jean Bedford
Winner, University of Technology, Sydney Award for New Writing, New South Wales Premier′s Literary Awards, 2005
Longlisted, Miles Franklin Literary Award, 2005
Winner, HarperCollins Varuna Awards for Manuscript Development, 2002
