the portal

The book The Runner is set in the early 1900’s in Melbourne, Victoria. Eastern Melbourne is the location; therefore it varies from modern day Richmond, Camberwell, Kew, Fitzroy and Hawthorn. It is told from the perspective of a teenage boy Charlie Feehan. When Charlie was a young Boy his father passed away. Now Charlie Feehan lives with his mother and his younger brother Jack. He lives in the poor area of Richmond and his mother is just managing to afford school fee’s to allow Charlie to attend school. The family is not receiving any money and life is getting hard until Charlie, without his mother’s consent, begins to work for Squizzy Taylor, a notorious and dangerous gangster.

Each morning Charlie would leave on his normal way to school, well that’s as much as his mother knew. Although what he was really doing each morning was heading down to Number Eighteen Darlington Parade, the residence of Squizzy Taylor and he would run errands for him until the end of normal school time. Charlie begins to get anxious and nervous that his Mum and teachers may begin to suspect something because of the numerous days of being absent from school and also because of the extensive money Charlie was bringing home. Squizzy assures Charlie that he will fix that for him. At first, the job’s a thrill - running with messages, illegal liquor, whatever Squizzy orders. It fills Charlie with power. But then comes the not-so-impressing parts of the job. Collecting Squizzy’s debts. Dodging Squizzy’s enemies. The very real dangers of the streets. And at some point Charlie has to ask himself– how long before running for a better life means cutting his life short? Read on to reveal the rest of the story.

Review by Jack