Jimmy likes to take his little brother Sam down to the railway cutting to watch the trains. If the time is right, they’ll see the silver cars of the Southern Aurora flash by; they’ll both get a thrill.

Sam goes to special school; they live with their mum, Nicki, in a rundown house. Jimmy’s older brother, Mick, is in prison for assault and will get out soon. Nicki has a friend Charlie who visits from time to time. Charlie is a Vietnam vet; sometimes he flies off the handle and once or twice he’s hurt Nicki. Nicki has a fondness for the Kaiser – the cask of Kaiser Stuhl wine. Jimmy can’t help watching how much Kaiser she consumes; it will determine whether it’s a good evening or a bad one. Things will be better when Mick comes home.

Meanwhile, Jimmy is trying to hold things together. When his local school announces that they are going to hold a billy cart race, Jimmy, his friend Danny and the new kid Chadwick decide to enter. Jimmy says they can use the cart that Mick made for him; it just needs a bit of love. But Chadwick, the local rich kid, has a super one and Danny is caught in a dilemma. Jimmy is the narrator in this story and his voice is real; one can feel his dilemmas, his concerns, and his joys and achievements.

Mark Brandi’s skill is in making Jimmy’s voice authentic and compelling; from the start the reader is engaged with Jimmy’s story and wants to go on the journey and understand the experiences of this young boy. Brandi has crafted a beautiful and tender story that gives great pleasure and should be read wide and far.