'Nine Hours North tells the bittersweet story of couple Sarah and Adam who are living together in Nagoya, Japan, nine hours north of Australia. Adam works for Nagoya Language Centre teaching English to company executives from Toyota. The two 21 year olds have been in a relationship for 4 years but the relationship is starting to strain. They have planned a cycling tour of Hokkaido before setting off for a few months in Europe. Before they leave, Marianne comes into their life. She's an old acquaintance of Sarah's and comes to stay for a while with the two of them. However, it is Adam who takes a shine to her and sees all the things he's missing in Marianne... This is a touching novel told in verse which looks at relationships, growing and changing against the backdrop of a foreign country and customs. It is about moving forward, facing challenges and making decisions. (Source: iPrimus website)