Off Track by Liezl Shnookal
A moving and bittersweet coming-of-age novel set in 1970s Australia
An Award-Winning Story About Falling in Love – and Falling Off Track
That first summer, Lucy never imagined that she would wind up in the back of a panel van with the larrikin Scotchie! Nor did she expect that life would turn out the way it eventually did, for either of them.
Lucy takes us on her journey through the 1970s in Australia, as she falls in love, hangs out on the beach and demonstrates against the Vietnam War.
A tender, funny, and heartbreaking story about love, change, and what happens when life veers wildly off course.
Inspired by a True Story and Real Events
Set mainly in the seaside town of Shoreham, Off Track draws from Liezl Shnookal’s own teenage summers there – and from her love for a charismatic rebel named Murray, who changed her life forever.
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Review by Literary Titan
"Shnookal excels in her portrayal of the unpredictable and often dark facets of life. Her story gradually unveils these complexities, transitioning from what initially seems like a light-hearted beach read into a profound exploration of deeper human experiences."
Off Track is available to buy – direct from the author – as either a Paperback book or as an Ebook (PDF or ePUB).
Off Track Kindle Edition is also available to buy from Amazon.
Reader Reviews
"This is a great story - full of reminiscences of the 1970s, with references to bands and songs, places and issues that were integral to the time. The uncertainty and awkwardness of first love is sensitively explored, as is the complexity of mental illness.”
Patrick Vaughan, St Andrews
"Off Track takes the reader on a journey of friendship as the group attempts to hang together. I felt the teenage and adult voice of the narrator was strikingly authentic. I think that the different threads of the story, such as family, friendship and mental health, will resonate with individual readers as they reflect on their own life journey."
Jill Chan, North Eltham
"I was really moved by this book. It has a gentle and unpretentious tone; it was compassionate and quietly insightful. It rang very true, moving lightly through the golden and careless timelessness of youth and to the profounder understanding of life."
Ann Birrell, St Kilda West
"This is the book that took me back. The loves and the losses. I was truly moved by this great story."
John Doyle, Hurstbridge
"I thoroughly recommend Off Track for young and old alike."
Spencer Field, Healesville
"This is a novel of great compassion and insight into the human condition. I highly recommend this book."
Viv Derwent, Smiths Gully
Off Track is available to buy – direct from the author – as either a Paperback book or as an Ebook.
Off Track Kindle Edition is also available to buy from Amazon.