Dharma Girl

Dharma Girl, Chelsea Cain, Seal Press, 1996

This is the true story of an average young woman living in Oregon with her mother, who, spurred by her mother's cancer diagnosis, embarks on a journey of self-discovery. They drive cross-country to Iowa, looking for the house where they lived in a commune, and where the author was born twenty years previously. The book is half present-day travelogue and half reminiscence, by Cain and her mother, of life in early 70's America; a life of living on odd jobs whenever possible, getting caught by the FBI as a draft dodger and being sentenced to community service; and a frequently changing cast of housemates. Cain and her mother reach the town and find people still living there that they knew back then. Her mother returns to Oregon and Cain stays behind in Iowa, reconnecting with herself.

I wasn't just pleasantly surprised by this book, I was pleasantly shocked. This book is excellent. It's not just an eloquent and moving portrayal of one person's childhood, it also explores two of the most talked about generations in American history.