Off the Road

The year is 2040 and Tom's grandfather, Gandy, receives an official letter informing him that he has reached the age where he is to be installed in Nostalgia Block 95 where he will be 'looked after' for ever. Gandy, however, has other plans; he makes a daring break for the outside world. Afraid for his grandfather's safety, Tom follows him to find that life on the outside is not what he expected. Beyond the Wild Wood he is forced to confront the values and beliefs of his regulated urban existence on 'the inside'. Bawden has written a compelling and convincing dystopian novel. Through the creation of two radically contrasting societies she explores concepts of age and youth; power and authority. But broad social and political issues are explored in the context of intimate family relationships so that the reader cares about the future of the characters whose world is but a stone's throw from our own.