Of the book's twelve chapters, each of the first six is devoted to the introduction of a single character, and of the latter six chapters, five are named for different places while one introduces another character. By naming seven chapters for characters and five for places, Michener suggests that the identities of these characters will change as they travel from place to place. Indeed, the young characters all leave home to travel because they are dissatisfied and are looking for alternative experiences and values. Just as the characters change during their travels, Michener demonstrates how the places have all changed over the course of history. For example, the main characters meet in Torremolinos, Spain, a tourist resort where one can speak any language except Spanish. This town's loss of its Spanish identity as a result of the influx of tourists recalls that in previous centuries Spain became Arabic...