Visionaries is a novel about a young man's quest for self-discovery during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Written by R.R. Rowley, the book follows Mac McKenna, an introspective young man disillusioned by his father's capitalistic beliefs that led him to drop out of high school and embark on a journey to find his true self. After arriving in Laguna Beach, California, Mac has a brief romantic encounter with a woman named Alice and meets the enlightened White Wolf, who, alongside Cowboy, would soon become Mac's biggest mentor. Determined to keep moving, Mac hitchhikes his way to Oregon, where he soon finds himself on the wrong side of the law and falls in love. But keeping true to himself, Mac makes his way across the entirety of the west coast, living in various communes and spreading the message of peace and love.

Inspired by real-life historical events, R.R. Rowley's coming-of-age tale follows a young man's search for enlightenment amidst anti-war protests that rocked America during the Vietnam War. Rowley masterfully captures the essence of the hippie movement of the 1960s and showcases how free-spirited members of hippie communes often saw themselves as visionaries and messengers of love and peace. There is an undeniable attraction to the hippie lifestyle that pulls in the youth who are fed up with the hypocrisies of their environment, government, and society. The characters are genuine and feel very much like people you may have met in real life. Visionaries is a novel that I would recommend to anyone who loves to read realistic stories.

Visionaries: A Journey To Table Mountain by RR Rowley is a historical fiction novel portraying the hip era of the late 60s and 70s and shows what was it like to be alive in that era. Mac McKenna never saw eye to eye with his father, and that was very apparent. From the way he dressed to the length of his hair, Mac’s father always had something to comment about. Wishing to live as a free man, Mac packed his bags and started a journey of self-discovery. Moving from city to city with no care in the world was easy, but things finally got interesting when Mac met a group of people that changed his life forever. Before he knew it, Mac was somehow in the center of big changes in society such as the beginning of Rainbow Families and The Vortex. However, in between all the greatness, Mac and his “group” of friends had to learn that change came with danger and unacceptance.

Living with a WWII army officer father was almost unbearable for our free-spirited Mac and that showed in the way they interacted. While his father had strong opinions on how everyone else should live their lives, Mac wanted to focus on his life. Life was either black or white at that time, there were no grey areas, and those who wished to create those areas were punished with insults and brutality. Maybe because author RR Rowley was alive at the time and part of this change, he somehow created a perfect protagonist for the story. Mac was relatable, charming, and so very familiar. He was confused, and instead of just accepting that, Mac wanted to understand all the whys of growing up. The narrative, although very entertaining, raised many questions in my head. A rare gem, Visionaries reflected on the 60s and 70s decades as more than just a time of free-spirited living, open drug use, and the hippie movement. A narrative that showed how it was a revolutionary period for people. I would highly recommend this novel to everyone, and anyone who loves to read. It has the best of everything; a good story, with educational and relatable characters!