Short stories exploring the lives of women who are on the road add up to an exploration of gender constructs and a rejection of the pressure to conform
In "Glove Box," an otherwise house-bound and straight-laced mother regularly takes off in the family's old Jag for hours on end. Other characters hitchhike, crisscrossing the Australian continent, accepting lifts in trucks, cars, and vans with trees painted on them. They are running away from dysfunctional families; they are seeking adventure or just looking for work. There are women in transit and in transition--stepping out of the traditional role ascribed to them and onto an open road. Plumb's writing is wonderfully evocative, and filled with luscious descriptions.