This is a debut novel, set mostly in Taranaki and Auckland, is mostly about running, but it's about a lot more than running. Mickey Bloom is a terrific character, five feet tall, dyslexic, bullied at school and bad at relationships, but a hell of a runner. This novel follows her through her life of triumph and failure, the loss of dreams, family tragedy, and ultimate redemption. It's quite a journey, atmospheric, compelling, dramatic and well paced. An excellent debut which deserves to be a bestseller.