It's 1975: Saigon has fallen, and erstwhile college-radical Caryn, now a young Chicago career woman on the climb, just got the letter that will 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 sets her off on 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 coming of age against a historic backdrop of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. It's a tale of travel in the Informationless Age - 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.

Suggesting numerous topics for spirited discourse, combining feet-on-the-ground reporting with the structure and tone of a novel, Overland is the ideal book club choice. Included discussion guide provides the prompts.