“Meandering Road is a journey through many lives, and they all make it worth taking that road to meet them. A lovely work.”
— William McInnes, actor and author
meandering road by
johan du toit
The stories in Meandering Road were inspired by pictures shared among the members of a writers’ group. This inspiration gave Johan du Toit the freedom to explore characters and draw on his personal experiences in Australia, the United States, South Africa, and beyond. The result is a collection that celebrates the lives of regular people.
A young man embarks on a journey across outback Australia in search of his father, on the other side of the world an innocent soul finds himself on death row; a family responds to the new South Africa at the end of the apartheid era; an only daughter confronts her mother about a family secret; a classical musician reflects on the privilege of having an older sister who is always there to take care of him; a singer in a bush hat gives new meaning to the life of a boy ridiculed by his family; in an English pub an old fellow reflects on the chairs left empty by the young men who sacrificed their lives; two unrelated events have a dramatic impact on the life of a Darlinghurst tattooist.
These are just some of the characters in Meandering Road who will take you along on their individual journeys.
A percentage from the sale of this book will be donated to support the homeless in Sydney.
“Meandering Road is a journey through many lives, and they all make it worth taking that road to meet them. A lovely work.”
— William McInnes, actor and author
“I read Meandering Road in one extended session. I was hooked by the characters and their journeys. While I enjoyed every story, Taking you Home, Empty Chairs and The Night Slim Dusty Came to Town are probably my favourites.”
— Harvey
“Johan, I read The Life of Herman Wolmarans over my lunch break. I finished this story with tears in my eyes.”
— Craig
“Thank you for the opportunity to read your new book of short stories. What a fabulous way to be entertained on a recent flight to Perth. So many wonderful stories and indeed diverse characters.”
— Nick
I am deeply engrossed and enjoying this read! The story entitled The Dressmaker has struck a particular chord with me… I clearly visualise the respectful and reserved Mr Asahara, indeed a finely drawn portrait. Carry on writing please!
— Margie
“Full of well-drawn characters, though often flawed, they are easy to connect with because they are like us. I liked that some stories were narrated by or featured female lead characters.”
— Robert
“The stories are so thought-provoking and many of the characters I feel I would like to meet.”
— Georgie
“The characters and stories are compelling and in some cases challenging.”
— Tom
About Johan du Toit
Johan du Toit grew up in a remote community, eight hours’ drive north of Cape Town in South Africa. After university, his first job was as a journalist with a morning paper, but he then decided to pursue a career in brand marketing and later advertising. Johan immigrated to Australia with his family in 1994. His interest in writing fiction was triggered by a course at The Writers Studio under the direction of Roland Fishman. While committed to corporate roles with natural medicine companies, Johan found an opportunity to write short fiction through the membership of a writers’ group. He lives with his wife in Sydney.
