The Lost Girls

Book excerpt: Three friends, each on the brink of a quarter-life crisis, embark on a year-long backpacking adventure around the world in The Lost Girls. “A triumphant journey about losing yourself, finding yourself and coming home again. Hitch yourself to their ride: you’ll embark on a transformative journey of your own.” —New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch With their thirtieth birthdays looming, Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, and Amanda Pressner are feeling the pressure to hit certain milestones—score the big promotion, find a soul mate, have 2.2 kids. Instead, they make a pact to quit their high-pressure New York City media jobs and leave behind their friends, boyfriends, and everything familiar to set out on a journey in search of inspiration and direction. Traveling 60,000 miles across four continents, Jen, Holly, and Amanda push themselves far outside their comfort zones to embrace every adventure. Ultimately, theirs is a story of true friendship—a bond forged by sharing beds and backpacks, enduring exotic illnesses, trekking across mountains, and standing by one another through heartaches, whirlwind romances, and everything in the world in between. “A real-life fairy tale for anyone who’s ever wanted to chuck it all and see the world with a best friend on each arm.” —Cathy Alter, author of Up for Renewal “Three cheers to The Lost Girls for showing us, with good humor and graceful prose, the beauty and importance of leading life astray.” —New York Times bestselling author Franz Wisner