Jon Doust Book order

It's 1972. When hot-headed, impetuous Jack Muir gets off the ship in Durban, he fails to get back on. Instead, he sails into misadventure, fleeing the stifling town of Genoralup to try to lose himself in South Africa at the height of apartheid. But the past has a way of catching up with you, and soon Jack is running again, this time to a kibbutz in Israel. In the course of a lifetime, Jack will travel far, always caught between fleeing from and seeking those things he needs- a mother's precious gift, a lover in a time of war, the loss of a child, a kind and steady woman. And, across time and across continents, old Jack Muir will remember those who helped him become a decent man, a better father and a friend.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Set against the backdrop of global protests in 1968, the story follows Jack Muir, a reluctant employee of the Colonial Bank of Australia, as he navigates life in Papua New Guinea. Confronted by the raw and sensuous reality of island life, Jack grapples with his own failures and the brutal dynamics of colonialism. This sequel to Boy on a Wire explores the complex distinction between freedom and the darker impulses it can evoke in individuals and society.

The story explores adolescent alienation through the eyes of Jack Muir, a sensitive and witty boy navigating the complexities of family dynamics and social pressures at boarding school. As he grapples with his admiration for his mother, a longing for his father's affection, and the overshadowing presence of his successful brother, Jack faces the challenge of defining his identity. Blending humor with poignant insights, the narrative captures the struggles against bullying and the descent into depression, all seen through the lens of youthful innocence.