The Book of SANA’A (A City In Short Fiction)
Novel of the overland trail from London to India, final destination Kathmandu
5th August 2024
Overland by Yasmin Cordery Khan, novel of an overland trail from London to India, final destination Kathmandu.
It is always such a pleasure to come across a novel, one that has been flagged for us because of the strength of setting; and then to discover it has a riveting, nuanced storyline, beautifully written and told. This will be joining TF’s Hall of Fame – top reads for literary wanderlust and #travelbybook.
The year is 1970 and between the 1950s and 1970s many hundreds of thousands of people, mostly young Americans and Europeans, travelled from Europe, overland through Afghanistan to India and Nepal, in any vehicle they could find, including clapped out vans – the VW Kombi being the van of choice – and even the odd London Route Master bus made its way across the various terrains. Just check out the serendipitous post on Twitter X (left, via @CNybak, showing a Route Master Bus in Turkey, probably on its way to Nepal). In this novel, the vehicle of choice is an ancient Land Rover. It is quite amazing to think that such journeys were possible back then, through Afghanistan and Pakistan into India without any really prohibitive paperwork. It is thought-provoking about the changes that have occurred in just 50 years and the notion of travelling to Afghanistan now absurd.
Freddie is a well-to-do aristocrat and intends to set off across continents with his childhood friend Anton. They are looking for a third person to join them and Joyce responds to their advertisement in the local paper. The vehicle – Vera – is ready to go and so are the three passengers.
The author details the subtle acclimatisation process between the trio, as they subliminally ease into the group dynamics. Joyce, as the outsider, is very keen to find her niche and soon Anton advises her to keep an eye on Freddie, which she is keen to do. There are no sexual tensions between the trio, just a striving to engage and keep things balanced and enjoy the adventure to come.
Wikipedia
Stops along the way, including the infamous Pudding Shop in Sultanahment in Turkey (a popular stopping place on the ‘hippie trail’) where they hung out with other travellers, ‘freaks’ as they were often called, and at one point someone called Chandra hooks up with them, enthusiastically welcomed by Freddie but only grudgingly accepted with real froideur by the other two – they can sense that he is trouble. And indeed, there is trouble to come down the trail. The author also has a background drumbeat of Freddie’s family history, which he cannot outrun.
The story is told from the viewpoint of Joyce in the present, as she looks back at her days in the company of the two young men. There is a real sense of the era, as she reflects on the progress of their journey and the events that occurred. The people are well rounded and interesting, the places and landscape are beautifully brought to life. Joyce has clearly gone on a voyage of discovery in her earlier years and it is interesting to travel alongside her as the experiences mount.
This is a terrific re-imagining of the 1970s counterculture that brings to life a very different geopolitical and cultural landscape. An engrossing read and it deserves to have a wide readership.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
Catch the author on TwitterX @OxfordYasmin
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