Nancy Fotheringham Cato was born in Adelaide in 1917 and, despite traveling extensively in her lifetime, lived most of her life in Australia, where she died in 2000. Her relationship with her native country informed much of her work, as its geography influenced much of her writing. She was also motivated to dispel the view that Australia had not produced a great deal of meaningful literature. Finally, the geography of her country, where one can drive for hours between conurbations, clearly forms the backdrop of 'The Road.'