Desert Tracks

by Marly Wells, Linda Wells

Have you ever gotten lost in a book? Entranced into the world of a mysterious old story of Alice Springs published a hundred years ago, Millie, a Warlpiri teenager, is sucked up by a willy willy and transported to 1924. Here she meets a crew of oddly familiar young people, Sonny, Beryl and Spike. As the group compare notes, they realise the Alice Springs of the past and the future are not as different as they seem...

Desert Tracks is a time travelling novel about young people in central Australia, about racial profiling, the historical legacy of racist policies and the relationship between history and the present.

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2025

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think ‘Back to the future’, with a Warlpiri, female main character, set in Alice Springs.

Race relations, Indigenous language and culture, and the teaching and sharing of culture explored in this Daisy Utemorrah winner, 2024, written by mother and daughter writing duo - Marley Wells and Linda Wells.

Truth telling in children’s literature. Bravo, Magabala Books.

I would recommend this book for readers aged +13 years old.

[phoebereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this story and how it is written! Desert Tracks took me on a familiar journey into the heart of contemporary Australia but I got to view it through the prism of Aboriginal experience. This book reminded me that while the landscape may be breathtakingly beautiful, the social terrain has scars from racism and historical injustice and it is all still very prevalent in today’s society.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another valuable addition to the growing number of Aboriginal stories for young people.

Millie is a great MC.

[Laurie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in two sittings. A brilliant, easy to read, time travel book by Martha Wells and Linda Wells focusing on Alice Springs (Mparntwe) as both a character and a location in both the past and the present.

The characters (Millie, Sonny, Beryl and Spike) are brought brilliantly to life by the authors through their family and friendship interactions, as well as through memorable descriptions and voice. Millie shows us both sides of time travel. Going back into the past and then bringing the past into the present with explanations and descriptions that paint a genuine picture of youth living in the outback. We see the world through these different teens' eyes, including their experiences of racism, colonisation and personal loss, along with the genuine wonder of discovering your home in the future and what changes have occurred for the better (though there is still a long way to go).

Language, Country and a true recounting of history is woven throughout the text in a way that is easy to digest. The weaving of the historical elements with the fantastical elements leads to a seamless and engaging read. A book that would be a terrific inclusion in schools to be read by students everywhere. Teachers and Librarians, please get onto this YA Fantasy now!

[Jayme · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the story was very interesting and the characters were very likable. However, the book tends to often tell you what's going on instead of showing you, which I found annoying. Maybe I'm not the intended age group for this book, but it made me feel stupid. I feel that children, especially in the 12-14 range (which I think this book was going for) can understand when things are sad and don't need to be told that this character is feeling sad. That being said, the story for this book was very interesting and enjoyed the Aboriginal perspective on history. I liked being able to read about something where something similar happened where I live and being able to go "Wait, I know what that is! We had that here too!"

Sorry if this is written bad, I've never written a review before :)

[Veronica Strachan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A time travelling novel set in central Australia and Alice Springs (Mparntwe). Loved it. Very happy to get lost in this book.
Mother daughter authors Linda and Marly Wells as Mparntwe locals have woven past and present together beautifully in this tale and threaded it with the strength of families, friendships, connection to Country, truthtelling about Australia's racist policies, all centred around a group of teens who... (no spoilers).
This is a delightful story that seamlessly blends history, fantasy and hope for the future.
A great read.