Damien, Edith, Kenneth and Mary are residents of a single street whose lives are ordinary to the last degree and as such encompass addiction and domestic violence, quiet achievements and small acts of kindness and treachery. Jack and Mary, locked at uncomfortably close quarters on Jack's retirement, chafe and sulk and fret. Edith finds solace in her lonely life playing the pokies. Young Damien, terrified of his stepfather Marcus and the school bully, broods on revenge. And Kenneth, unhinged, wanders the streets. Lives intertwine and decisions are made. And the tension grows to its shattering climax. 'Underground Road is a sharply political novel, highlighting uncomfortable but necessary questions about justice, fairness and human rights - especially the rights of children to live safely and be looked after, to enjoy fulfilled and happy lives.' - Francesca Rendle-Short