James Michener's The Drifters is an exhilarating and timeless novel that describes the lives of a group of young men and women who set out to discover the world for themselves. More than just a story, it is a presentation of the lives of the young and the old, and the relationship between the generations. Although it was written in the 1970s, the narrative maintains its relevance even today. In part, this is because the problems and prejudices that are gradually revealed by the author can be easily seen all around us today.

The narration begins with the background stories of a variety of characters, each extraordinary in his or her own way. Chance brings them together and they set out on a journey through Europe and Africa, in the search of meaning to their lives. Eventually, their journey is seen to be a spiritual transformation, rather than a mere exploration of places and people.

The appeal of this novel may be different for each kind of audience. The passage of time gives the current reader the benefit of hindsight; there are problems and problems, but will there ever be solutions in sight? The diverse group portrayed in this novel also raises the interesting question of allegiance - when it comes to the 'crunch', who will side with whom? If we can take away an important lesson from this novel, it is that the world as we know it today is the result of the choices made long ago: will we make the right choices today?

This theme of society and choice always lingers somewhere in the background, never quite raising its head until the very end. Until then, the author treats us to a world of excitement, rituals, sex and drugs, a world always in motion.