AustLit

'Mark flies into Sydney - as the singer of a punk band - full of expectations of success. But when his girlfriend takes off and the band goes nowhere, he hits the road in search of adventure.

'As a bouncer, a taxi driver, a set builder, an actor and a writer, he's constantly on the move. But as he powers along he is often overtaken by his past: his fragmented family, his numerous failed relationships and the ghosts of his brothers and friends. Again and again the road behind engulfs the road ahead.

'A journey of self discovery, an adventure and a picaresque romp, The Road Behind weaves through cities and outback, though the masculine and the feminine, though the dark side and the light side.

'Through sex and drugs and rock n roll, through life and death and an empty soul, Mark explores the physical space around him and the emotional space within. By journey's end, he's covered a lot of ground and come closer to himself, his family, his past, and his future.'

Source: The Road Behind website, http://www.theroadbehind.net/
Sighted: 01/11/2010

'Kate Wilks is a swimmer, a teacher and a writer, but she has never been a mother. She believes she has a good and satisfying life until a chance encounter with her ex-husband and his daughter. Suddenly submerged by a past overflowing with grief, secrets and betrayals, Kate is forced to reassess her life.

Swimming is a lyrical story of one woman's journey. A novel about loss and survival, friendship and love, creativity and fulfilment, it will resonate with anyone whose life hasn't turned out as planned.' (Publisher's blurb)