Teenage runaway's adventure unfolds within poetic verses

Stories come in all shapes and sizes, and Steven Herrick's The Simple Gift might look a bit unusual when you first begin to read.

Herrick is one of Australia's most famous poets and his latest offering is an effective verse novel.

Herrick tells the story of Billy Luckett in the form of a long, free poem.

But don't let this put you off.

The Simple Gift is a moving and gripping tale that combines the emotion of well-written poetry with the excitement of a well-plotted novel.

Billy is a 16-year-old living in a soulless Australian town where he has suffered years of abuse from his drunken father. One day, Billy runs away and hitches a lift on a freight train out of town.