Book Review: Overland, by Mark Stephen Levy

Book Review: Overland, by Mark Stephen Levy

I recently connected with Colorado author Mark Stephen Levy and when he asked me to review his new book, Overland, I eagerly agreed.

Overland is Levy’s first published work and it is a love story that takes place against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The main character, Danny Benson, is a recent medical school graduate who is devastated when his longtime girlfriend Heather turns down his marriage proposal.

She further shocks him when she impulsively sets off halfway across the world and embarks on an overland bus ride to Katmandu.  Bewildered and devastated, Danny follows her, determined to find her and win her back.

But fate has other plans.

When Danny finally meets up with Heather in Afghanistan, his plan is interrupted by the violence of the Soviet invasion and once again he finds himself alone, with no idea if Heather is still in the country – or if she is even still alive.

During the turmoil, Danny finds himself applying his medical skills in a different environment than he had ever imagined at medical school.  As fate would have it, he meets up with a long lost childhood friend…and finds himself increasingly drawn to her.

What does Afghanistan have in store for Danny?  Will Danny find Heather alive? What about his long lost childhood friend? How does she fit into the picture?

These questions and more kept me turning the pages of Overland.

In the first few chapters of the book, I didn’t find it particularly easy to relate to Danny.  One of his character flaws – as Heather points out to him – is his lack of visible emotion, and this gave me a little trouble with connecting with him as a character.  But as the book progressed I found empathy for Danny and his search for love, and I also became absolutely engrossed in reading about Afghanistan before and during the Soviet occupation.

I loved the scope of the book as it moves through several countries and weaves its story back and forth during Danny’s search for Heather.

I was also particularly intrigued by the description of Afghanistan before and during the Soviet invasion.  I found it fascinating to compare the country that existed before the invasion to what we all read and hear about in the media today about the state of Afghanistan and the Taliban currently.  I was also left with a great sadness – but perhaps a little better understanding – of what the people of Afghanistan have been through over the last few decades.

If you are a fan of exotic travel and have a weakness for romance, pick up a copy of Overland and hunker down with it in front of a warm fire this winter.  Overland will give you the luxury of falling in love with a country half way around the world, from the comfort of your own home.

Mark Stephen Levy’s Overland was inspired by the author’s own traveling adventures and love story.  He met his wife, Elaine, originally from France, while on a camel safari in the Rajasthan Desert in India. His two year round the world journey took him throughout Eruope, India, Nepal, Tibet and beyond. Now married for twenty-three years, Levy and his wife have an eighteen year old daughter, Celine.

Overland is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Borders and countless other places on line, or order a copy in the Barnes or Borders stores.