'Seventeen-year-old Adelaide is sick of being expected to succeed on other people’s terms. She knows she just has to stick it out at school for one more year and then she’ll be free. Instead, she runs away from her fancy boarding school back to her sleepy hometown to read and dream.
'But there are no free rides. When Addie’s grandad gets her a job at the local historical society, she soon finds out that it’s dusty and dull, just like her new life. Things change when she starts hanging out with Jarrod, a boy who seems full of possibilities. But it turns out he’s as stuck as she is. And Addie realises that when you want something in life, you’ve actually got to do something about it.
'A heartfelt tale about love, friendship and finding your own way.' (Publication Summary)
Dedication: For Nana Marie, for Gran and for Boz - and all the remarkable histories you've created
'Untidy Towns reads like an ode to many of Australia's country towns- for all their faults, they provide a sense of security, a safety and a camaraderie difficult to find else-where. They are the 'untidy' towns of the title, perhaps ironically, the same towns whose signs advertise their contribution to the 'tidy towns' competition.'(Introduction)
'Untidy Towns reads like an ode to many of Australia's country towns- for all their faults, they provide a sense of security, a safety and a camaraderie difficult to find else-where. They are the 'untidy' towns of the title, perhaps ironically, the same towns whose signs advertise their contribution to the 'tidy towns' competition.'(Introduction)
