A gorgeous redhead with a dead Japanese boyfriend, a dominatrix mentor, and a flair for threesomes, Helena’s only real interest is travelling to new corners of the globe where she can smoke hash and hear techno. Her vision quest for the discovery of the meaning of ecstasy has her collecting memories everywhere, from monasteries and communes to yoga studios and sword fighting dojos.
Residing somewhere in that transit lounge between bible and blog, BACKPACKER traces Helena’s low-budget jet-set joy ride through the international backpacker circuit where dancers, monks, diplomats, gunrunners, and farmers all make for fine bedfellows.
BACKPACKER is an atlas, guide book, and training manual for ecstasy, non-attachment, and love.
Publication : October 2025
Hillary Raphael is the author of Outcast Samurai Dancer, I Love Lord Buddha, Backpacker, Ximena, and Paris Love Suicide, as well as children’s titles writing as Shoshana Banana. She holds a san-dan rank in Muso Shinden Ryu swordsmanship.