Rusted Off

a sympathetic and insightful account of the lives of the people in a struggling and troubled country town … This book provides a sensitive portrayal of the class structure of country towns and reveals the deep social and economic divide between the cities and many rural disadvantaged communities.

Judges, Prime Minister's Literary Awards

Chan has produced a clear-eyed, honest and necessary decryption key for the times in which we live. It ought to be read and its subjects heard.

Rick Morton, The Australian

Before I crown Gabrielle Chan’s Rusted Off my political book of 2018, I need to declare the obvious. Chan is my colleague and friend. But my relationship with the author doesn’t influence my judgment. It’s the Australian political book of the year because it sets about reporting the remarkable political times we live in in the way the story needs to be reported: from the ground up, with empathy and intellect. Rusted Off charts the growing gap between the circus in Canberra and the lived experience of regional Australians by telling the story of a town, the town in which the author has built a life. Wisely, Chan understands that contemporary political reporting spends too much time fixated with palace intrigues, and not enough time interrogating the on-ground impacts of policies, or the lack of them, and how the latter creates a gap in representation that is leading people to vote in increasing numbers for candidates from outside the major parties. It’s the story of the moment, and Chan tells it with great clarity. Rusted Off is a must-read over the summer for any political tragic to help limber up for the coming federal election.

Katharine Murphy, 2018, Book of the Year, The Guardian

The definitive account of life on the other side of city-country divide. Written with a soft heart and a hard head, this is one of the most important books about Australia today.

George Megalogenis

Chan yearns for and presents "a more nuanced discussion of country communities and politics" in place of rural stereotypes as "rednecks or salt of the earth". She refers to the many other identities – Indigenous, working class, migrant, even homeless – who make up the rural estate. Rusted Off strives to see the good in the contemporary Australian condition, rural and urban, but equally tell the story of national transition that has left us divided, resentful and less secure than earlier generations.

Brendan Gleeson, The Sydney Morning Herald

Chan is a very good journalist, trained to get at the particulars of what she is reporting and to enrich her account by seeking out contextual factors. Chan’s account of the political history is skilfully interwoven with narratives tracking the lives of individuals from her community.

Jane Goodall, Inside Story

Chan, a sensitive journalist with close relationships in town, generally allows local people to speak for themselves. Rusted Off is a thoughtful and honest contribution. Chan grapples with the many faces of rural communities, even when unpleasant. Importantly, she acknowledges their deep internal fault lines.

Shaun Crowe, Australian Book Review