Out on the Edge

ALISON'S a practical down to earth, a keen cyclist and steady student, she thinks clearly under pressure. Until a guy she vaguely knows turns up in her back yard -- looking for shelter. Despite her own suspicions that what she's doing is wrong, she helps Garry hide the traces of what's happened to him -- and what he's done. Complex enough, right? Only then they fall in love. When the authorities -- police, social workers, courts, counsellors -- and family get involved, the barriers set up between Alison and Garry seem impassable. Can their relationship survive distance and disapproval? Or more importantly, can it survive the damage already dealt out to Garry? A frank, clear-eyed story about making your own decisions, and learning the full dimensions of your heart. Anna Mackenzie lives in Hawke's Bay. Involved with the rural community. Her first novel was short-listed for the 2001 Tom Fitzgibbon Award and her second novel, High Tide, was widely acclaimed.