In this episode, host Makonnen Sankofa talks author Alle C. Hall about her debut novel As Far as You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back, a gritty and heart‑wrenching coming-of-age journey set across Southeast Asia and Japan in the late 1980s. Hall guides us through the life of Carlie (née Jen), a teenager who flees a traumatic family life, stealing money to escape to places she hopes will let her reinvent herself. What she finds instead is a tangled web of sex, addiction, dissociation, and survival.

We dig into how Hall weaves trauma, identity, and healing through travel; the significance of tai chi and spiritual practice in the narrative; and the delicate balance between escape and confrontation. Carlie’s story is not linear or easy—it’s messy, repetitive, and full of inner conflict. This conversation peels back the layers: how Hall conceived the novel, the challenges of writing abuse with authenticity, her depiction of sexuality and dissociation, and what redemption or “returning” can mean when the scars of the past persist.

Whether you’re a fan of literary fiction, #MeToo narratives, or stories about reclaiming self through movement and ritual, this episode will challenge what you believe about escape, home, and the fight to rebuild from trauma.