Gone is an amazing novel about a mentally ill hitchhiker who cannot remember his past when he is released from prison.  Travelling some 4,000 km through the unforgiving Australian outback, his identity and past gone, Frank survives on the generosity of strangers.  As he approaches closer to home, his boyhood looms and he must make amends for the crimes he has committed.  Although Frank struggles to distinguish between reality and delusion, he has a remarkable ability to judge the character of strangers instantly as we wait with him for the next car to come.  The landscape is foreboding, in particular the horizon, as the journey progresses and Frank faces down his demons.  This is such a quintessentially Australian novel, reminding us of the big empty spaces at the heart of the country – the perfect setting for a story about searching for truth and justice.

Reviewed by Angela Yin