Off the Road - Hardcover

Nina Bawden

3.04

71 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395913217 ISBN 13: 9780395913215

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1998

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When Tom's grandfather goes off the road, Tom is sure Gandy has gone mad. Tom knows that beyond the wall lies the Outside, a wild place filled with barbarians and unimaginable dangers. He also knows that Oldies are weak-minded. So Tom summons all his courage and goes after Gandy, who obviously doesn't know what he's doing. Or does he? Tom's experience in the strange, messy, emotional world Outside, where so many things prohibited to Insiders are taken for granted, quickly shakes all his certainties. Who is crazy, the Oldies who are sent to the Memory Theme Park, or the families who let them go? Is the Wall meant to keep the Outsiders out, as Tom has always been told--or the Insiders in? Master storyteller Nina Bawden, known for stories in which secrets from the past emerge in the present, has created a spellbinding adventure set in a future society with secrets that make it a chilling mirror of our own.

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About the Author:

Nina Bawden is foremost among twentieth-century writers of fiction for children. A reviewer in Publishers Weekly wrote: "I'll come right out and say it. For my money, Miss Bawden can so no wrong. Her stories area a perfect blend of humor and suspense, and that's a blend difficult to achieve." Ms. Bawden was born in London, England, and lived there until she was evacuated with her school during the Blitz in World War II. She later attended Somerville College, Oxford. She and her husband, Austin Kark, live in London, except in the spring and summer, when they go to their home in Nauplion, Greece.

From AudioFile:

When Tom's grandfather slips beyond the Wall, Tom thinks old Gandy's lost his mind. Everyone knows the Outside is filled with savages and dangerous wildlife. So Tom follows his grandfather, and what he learns on the Outside changes his life forever. In the overflowing genre of dystopia novels, this is a standout. Bernard Cribbins's excellent vocal characterizations pull the reader into the story. The cynical voice of Gandy, the booming voice of the mailman, the wizened voice of Tom's great uncle, and the tired voice of his great aunt all seem perfectly suited to the characters. Between the characters and the author's smooth pacing and interesting plot, this production keeps the cassettes moving. A.F. � AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright � AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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