Two for the Road

by Amanda Hampson

When Cassie Munro fled her hometown of Bilkara to follow the charismatic Dan to the other side of the world, she never expected to return. Now, devastated by revelations of Dan's betrayal and the news of a brutal attack on her father, she returns home with nothing left to lose.

Against her better judgement, she finds herself battling to save the family business.In the midst of her struggle, Cassie is reunited with her first love, Mack, who forces her to confront a guilty secret and the tragic past they share.

Genres: Fiction

321 pages, paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Melbourne-based author, Amanda Hampson has been writing professionally for more than 30 years and is the award-winning author of nine novels: The Olive Sisters, Two for the Road, The French Perfumer, The Yellow Villa, Sixty Summers, Lovebirds, The Tea Ladies, The Cryptic Clue and The Deadly Dispute.

A runaway bestseller, The Tea Ladies won the 2024 Danger Awards for Best Crime Fiction and was Shortlisted for 2024 Davitt Awards Best Adult Crime & 2024 Ned Kelly Awards Best Fiction.

Reviews

[Hari · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know I had a whole other review at the ready as I read this book. The disgust I felt at the characterisations of the women. The focus on physical characteristics, the trawling through the ugliness of life, all of it was so uncomfortable to read. All of it felt so familiar too. And then it hit me. This book is about misogyny, it rips open the guts of small town Australia. And its main focus is the internalised misogyny that lies deep within every woman within this landscape.

Set in a fictional coastal town in the northern rivers, it eviscerates Aussie womanhood in all its forms. I can’t say I enjoyed it, depressed the hell out of me actually. Also left a bad taste in my mouth. But it definitely evoked a response, made me feel, reflect and think. I can’t even decide if it’s a conscious exploration or if the writer herself is still trapped in that female hating gaze. Don’t recommend it as escapist fiction but if you want a small taste of a particular slice of Australian life, make of it what you will.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was robbed of a happy ending.

[Chetna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that definitely kept me interested and reading late at night. The writers style and the context of the story with the towing business was really interesting. I didn't feel connected to, or intrigued by the characters at all, and that's why 3/5.

[Rowlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read this was.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book free from Penguin Books after entering an email competition, and I'm not sure I would have picked it up otherwise.

While I enjoyed Amanda's first book, 'The Olive Sisters', I found this one not as enjoyable. It took me a while to get into the story and in the end it was OK, but nothing spectacular.

[Colemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Liked the characters in this book. The story is set in Australia and gives an insight into the towing industry. Amanda Hampson writes beautifully and her stories are believable. Hope she keeps writing.

[Sherryl Caulfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda Hampson’s second book should be a must-read for every school-leaver. A searing portrait on how a carefree beach party can quickly turn into something else that wreaks havoc for years to come. Plenty of interesting, broken characters in here.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had this still to read - absolutely brilliant!!! I loved the characters, the story, everything. It's difficult to believe they're not real people and that I can't look them up and see what happened to them all!!!