The Art of the Engine Driver

Carroll, Steven

ISBN 10: 150465644X ISBN 13: 9781504656443

Publisher: Blackstone Pub, 2015

Synopsis

On a hot summer s night in the 1950s, the old and the new, diesel and steam, and town and country all collide and nobody will be left unaffected.As a passenger train leaves Spencer Street Station on its haul to Sydney, a family of three Vic, Rita, and their son, Michael are off to a party. George Bedser has invited the whole neighborhood to celebrate the engagement of his daughter. Vic is an engine driver, with dreams of being like his hero Paddy Ryan and becoming the master of the smooth ride. As the neighbors walk to the party, the story delves into the lives of a bully, a drunk, a restless girl, and a young boy forced to grow up before he is ready. "The Art of the Engine Driver" is a luminous and evocative tale of ordinary suburban lives, told with an extraordinary power and depth."

About this title

Review

"Steven Carroll's subtly crafted novel is a poignant exploration of dashed hopes and suburban desperations...A rich and evocative novel with a strong sense of period." (Mail on Sunday)

"An exquisitely crafted journey of Australian suburban life . . . fresh and irresistible" (Miles Franklin Literary Award Judges, 2002)

"Deceptively simple, this novel has a quiet force" (Sydney Morning Herald)

"A veritable little gem . . . a beautiful discovery" (Elle France)

"Subtle, true and profoundly touching . . . from the first lines of this very beautiful novel by Steven Carroll, an indefinable charm is at work" (Le Monde)

Book Description

A powerful novel about the difference one night can make.

Edition details

• Publisher: Blackstone Pub
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 150465644X
• ISBN 13: 9781504656443
• Binding: Audio CD