First published 2003
Star and her fellow commune dwellers live freely in California, practicing nudism and rejecting mainstream society's rules. The eight counter-cultural rebels share everything from meals to bodies to dreams of creating a perfect alternative world. When their California paradise faces threats, the group makes a dramatic decision to relocate to Alaska's wilderness. The move from sunny California to harsh Alaska tests every relationship and belief they hold dear. Years pass as the commune evolves through the 1960s and 1970s, forcing each member to confront what they truly want from their radical experiment. Star and her companions discover that escaping society is easier than escaping themselves. Their journey reveals whether love, freedom, and shared ideals can survive when comfort disappears and survival becomes the daily reality.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, contemporary, 21st-century, alternative-medicine, activism, apocalyptic
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family, survival
Setting: California, Alaska
Period: 1960s, 1970s
464 pages · Hardcover · Viking, 2003