In an Australia torn by hostilities that the government refuses to call war, bombing raids and refugee camps have become the norm. Dan is an injured ex-soldier who works for the Red Cross, providing a safe house and foster care for children orphaned by the violence. When he is brought a beautiful green-eyed baby to care for, he figures that this will be business as usual and that the Red Cross will eventually show up to collect her and find her family. Instead, the baby’s uncle Sid arrives on a motorcycle, claiming to have ridden over four thousand kilometers across the country in order to fetch her back to the family. As Dan attempts to come to terms with handing the child over to someone who can’t possibly take care of her, another bombing attack hits too close to home. Acting swiftly, Dan packs up Sid and the baby in an armored car and heads east across the desert away from the bombing and towards the baby’s home.

As the two men and tiny baby drive through a hostile war-torn desert, the “police action” intensifies into war, and Dan finds that they are not just avoiding bombing raids. Sid has special abilities that make him just a little more than human, and he has become a target for his family’s enemies. It becomes apparent that it will take more than four wheels and a barrel of petrol to deliver them to safety – it will most likely take a little bit of magic as well.

Laney Cairo’s Running the Nullarbor is a futuristic adventure that barrels across the arid Nullarbor region of Southern Australia. This story is well-written and fast-paced, and readers should expect to be pulled in to the story immediately from page one. The action starts off with a bang – literally – and barely lets up for a moment as the characters scramble to keep themselves and their tiny precious cargo alive. Dan and Sid are both endearing characters who will charm the reader with a combination of toughness, sensitivity, and humor. Dan is a toughened veteran who is not afraid to brave the desert and the war, but he is also incredibly tender with the baby. How can you not love a man who can change a diaper with one hand and shoot at enemies with the other? Sid is a little more of a comic relief character, projecting a sunny face to the world, but at the same time he risks his life to keep them safe. Readers seeking a very real sense of danger, a rollicking ride, and amazing characterization should definitely give Running the Nullarbor a shot.

Reviewed by: Whitney