London, 1970
Joyce, fresh out of secretarial college, answers an ad in the local paper for a fellow traveller needed to fill a car going on the hippy trail. Arriving at Freddie's Notting Hill townhouse, Joyce already feels a world away from the suburban semi she grew up in. She's desperate to escape the stifling life she can see mapped out for her – job, boyfriend, marriage, kids – and the long-haired, dope-smoking Freddie looks like he can show her an alternative path.
Together with Freddie's best friend from boarding school, Anton, the three agree to travel overland from London to Kathmandu. But their initial excitement soon turns to fear when Freddie's experimentations push his friendship with Anton to the extreme, with devastating consequences for everyone.
The Overland is a novel about youth, privilege, class and the sharp echoes of British imperialism from one of the most exciting new voices in literary fiction.
