When I left America for SE Asia it was an unknown. Would I find the freedom, head-space and mental clarity I yearned for or would I be constrained again? These 8 stories are the result. From The Deserted Country: "Truth? We were keeping truth a secret. A better life of resorts and low expectations made us human again. Linda, from the start, had never planned to stay more than a year or two. We knew this without asking. We wanted to stay forever. The notebook was a symbol of her desire to change Thailand, to modernize, to Westernize, to Christianize.

I was not sure if I hated her, myself or the deserted country. I was too busy to decide.".