Tenderfoot, Toni Jordan’s eighth novel, takes place in the suburban Brisbane of Joh Bjelke-Petersen in 1975. Beneath the family home lies a kennel for the greyhounds that Andie’s father breeds, trains and races, rather than paying attention to his daughter, who nonetheless adores him. .’Andie’s parents are both obsessed with greyhound racing, a passion that leaves little room for anything else. But even the minor characters you come across are perfectly evoked; Jordan’s characterisation is faultless, as is Jordan’s storytelling. Consequently, this story of a schoolgirl in a Brisbane suburb a lifetime ago becomes an engrossing page-turning saga not to be missed.