Hippie Chick Abroad: Wild energy meets sweet naivety

In 1969, twenty-year-old Reva Nelson sets off to backpack across Europe-alone. A spirited thinker and poet, Nelson wants to move beyond past betrayals, stretch her wings, and see the world.

With only the contents of her pack to equip her for the journey, Nelson leaves behind all that is familiar and comfortable to explore the European continent and discover what the last year of the turbulent decade holds.

Nelson supports her travels by picking up odd jobs, including harvesting grapes from the vineyards of Bordeaux and oranges from the citrus groves in Israel. And in an era of free love and sexual exploration, she also picks up men along the way. Everywhere she goes, she encounters interesting characters, describing them with a freshness and honesty that perfectly captures the spirit of the day.

Written with deep insight and great humor, Hippie Chick Abroad chronicles Nelson's adventures and misadventures in growing up, branching out of her comfort zone, and exploring the great wide world-and her place in it.