Overland

Remembering Southeast Asia

Winner of the 2018 National Indie Excellence Award in New Adult Non-Fiction.

Decades ago, in that window of time between the fall of Saigon and the Bicentennial, erstwhile college-radical Caryn, by then a young Chicago career woman on the climb, got a letter that would set her off on the adventure of a lifetime and the journey of a generation.

A chance to visit family friends on diplomatic assignment in Tokyo initiates a solo round-the-world trek that starts at the end of the road – the land route from London to Bali thousands of truth seekers traveled in the 1960s and 70s seeking enlightenment, cheap thrills and free love. 

From Bali to Bangkok to Burma and beyond, in the wake of war and the shadow of colonialism, Overland celebrates travel in the Informationless Age. Rollicking yet reflective, it's a digitally-remastered blast from a past when the ultimate measure of cool was not where you were from, but how far you’d come. 

Publisher's Note: While Overland at its core is a personal coming-of-age story, the historic, societal and political themes it incorporates suggest a number of topics for spirited book club debate.  Our Reading Guide provides the prompts.