Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussions of mental health, animal death, and gender discrimination.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss your overall impressions of Tracks. Which aspects of Davidson’s story were most or least impactful for you, and why?

2. How did your experience reading Tracks compare to reading Davidson’s other works of nonfiction? For example, what stylistic, narrative, or thematic overlaps do you notice between Tracks and Desert Places or Travelling Light?

3.  As a travel memoir, Tracks shares common ground with titles like Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love? How is Davidson’s approach distinct from other travel memoirs you’ve read?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. What was your response to Diggity’s death? Have you experienced the loss of a pet or animal in your life with whom you had a close connection? How did your experience compare to Davidson’s?

2. Davidson sets out in the desert to liberate and learn about herself. Have you ever taken a similar risk to aid your self-discovery? How was your experience different from  Davidson’s?

3. Davidson experiences aggression and abuse from Kurt during her time working with him. Have you had similar experiences in toxic relationships that compelled you to evolve? 

4. Davidson combats an array of physical, interpersonal, and emotional challenges in Alice Springs. How has the culture of a place impacted you in similar ways? Consider how this hostile environment affects Davidson, and how specific settings have worked on your heart and mind.

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Examine Tracks through a feminist lens. How does Davidson’s journey reinforce her beliefs about patriarchal systems of power and gender equality? How do her actions throughout her trip emphasize or contradict her beliefs? How do her sociopolitical views evolve as a result of her experiences?

2. Davidson’s time in the desert transforms her understanding of the natural world. How does communing with nature impact her understanding of her place in the world? What parallels do you see between Davidson’s perspective and contemporary conversations around environmental protection?

3. Discuss Davidson’s representation of Aboriginal peoples throughout Tracks. How does she present Aboriginal culture and customs? In what ways does Davidson use Tracks to advocate for Aboriginal rights? How does her identity as a white woman impact her portrayal?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What makes Davidson’s point of view, voice, and tone throughout the memoir distinct? Does her authorial stance satisfy or subvert genre conventions? What devices does she use to engender trust with the reader?

2. Discuss Rick, Jenny, Toly, Eddie, and Glendle’s contributions to Davidson’s personal growth. What do these relationships teach Davidson about intimacy and personal boundaries?

3. Explore how Davidson’s relationships with her animals alter her outlook on herself, the land, and her life. How does her time with Diggity, Dookie, Bub, Zelly, and Goliath affect her emotionally, physically, and psychologically?

4. Discuss three symbols from the text that contribute to Davidson’s key themes. How do these symbols function, and how do they guide Davidson’s story? (For example, consider the resonance of Alice Springs, camels, snakes, rocks, guns, and/or tracks throughout the memoir).

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Write an alternate ending for Davidson’s trip. How would her life be different if she’d chosen to stay in the desert with her camels permanently? What is the significance of her decision to give up this lifestyle, and what would it have meant for her to fully embrace it?

2. Create a playlist that captures the mood of Tracks. As you choose your songs, consider the places Davidson visits, the sights she sees, the relationships she forms, and the challenges she faces.

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