Riders in the Chariot

Reach for this book when your older teenager is grappling with deep questions about social exclusion, spiritual identity, or the harsh realities of human nature. This profound work follows four outcasts in a fictional Australian suburb: a recluse in a decaying mansion, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, an Indigenous artist, and a humble washerwoman. Despite their different backgrounds, they share a mystical vision of a golden chariot that sets them apart from their judgmental community. It is a challenging, literary exploration of how goodness survives in a world often dominated by cruelty and conformity. Because of its complex prose and mature themes of trauma and religious persecution, it is best suited for mature students who are ready to discuss the darker aspects of history and human behavior.