On a hot summer's night in the 1950s, the old and the new, diesel and steam, town and country all collide - and nobody will be left unaffected. 'An exquisitely crafted journey of Australian suburban life . . . fresh and irresistible' - Miles Franklin Literary Award judges As a passenger train leaves Spencer Street Station on its haul to Sydney, Vic, Rita and their son, Michael, are off to a party. George Bedser has invited the whole neighbourhood to celebrate the engagement of his daughter. Vic is an engine driver, with dreams of being like his hero, Paddy Ryan, and becoming the master of the smooth ride. As the neighbours walk to the party, we are drawn into their lives: a bully, a drunk, a lonely wife, a restless girl - and a young boy forced to grow up before he is ready. tHE ARt OF tHE ENGINE DRIVER is a luminous and evocative tale of ordinary lives, told with extraordinary power. 'subtle, true and profoundly touching . . . from the first lines of this very beautiful novel . . . an indefinable charm is at work' - LE MONDE