Reviews

“I wish I could write as elegantly as Carol Schlanger. I wish I was as brilliantly funny as Carol Schlanger. I wish I had joined her commune in the 70s and lived her outrageous, back-to-the-land life. But since I wasn’t and didn’t, reading her riveting, gut-busting and brave work is the next best thing. Strip down, light-up and catch her as fast as you can!” — ARLENE SARNER, award-winning screenwriter (PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, BLUE SKY)r

“A miracle! Both a poignant confessional and darkly comic Roman à clef, about a life led on such different planes that it is astounding there was ever any intersection. The story of how a young, deeply urban woman learns to live off the grid in the Pacific Northwest, gutting fish, chopping wood, and making love like an accidental, Jewish she-wolf is sensational. I couldn’t put it down.” — CARL GOTTLIEB, award-winning screenwriter (JAWS), director and author

“Carol Schlanger’s wild ride of a memoir gallops hilariously through the early seventies commune experience that all of us old hippies meant to have. She has the perfect voice of her generation. Honest, rebellious, sensual, politically astute, she’s invited us into history to live and love through her. We dare not pass up the opportunity because being Carol is in itself an adventure.”— BARBARA BOTTNER, New York Times bestselling author

“I’m loving this book. If you lived through the 1970’s, the Vietnam war and Woodstock, you will too. Carol, materially privileged, urban, only child; not only knows nothing about sharing, she has no idea how to hang up her clothes. There’s actually no need for her to know any of this, as the maid comes each morning and getting what she wants is limitless. Fast forward to meeting and falling in love with Texas cowboy, Clint. When he tries but fails to adopt her New York lifestyle, Carol follows him to an Oregon commune. Carol is honest about her reactions to the challenges of living with ten others in less than ideal conditions. Her writing is exquisite and we root for her growth in self awareness and personal strength. Since we know from the start that she and Clint are still together, we can sit back and enjoy the ride. This is no “true romance”. Rather it is a thoughtfully considered memoir written by a highly educated, intelligent woman, living through challenging times that ripped apart our country. Sound familiar?”– Knitten 5.0 out of 5 stars

” What was it like to fall in love and live on a commune in Oregon Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2019 Verified Purchase I was transported away to this Oregon commune, these best of times, this hysterical remembering of a more innocent moment that i was too young to participate in. If you love the 60’s, nature, weed, hippies. Baby, have I got a memoir for you. 18 people found this helpful Helpful Report abuse Alan 5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful, wild, sexy, funny true ride Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2019 Verified Purchase This book captures more than Carol’s personal story. It is the story of the Boomer generation. Learning to push back against the rules and structures; to redefine what loving and living might mean; to “get back to the garden”; to fight to end an unjust war; to smoke weed; and basically to have been right about so much. Her humor and fluid style keep the narrative flowing and you can’t put it down. You are there. And I so wish we all still were. Buy this. Read this. It’s great fun and a great read.” — Jason Bourne 5.0 out of 5 stars

“I couldn’t put it down. It’s a great read: honest, courageous, loving, compassionate, and sometimes shocking, exquisite, sensual, sexy, with a brash wit. The author makes room for the reader to participate in this personal wild ride. I found myself feeling, seeing, smelling and reacting …,…being there, and thinking…”what would I do?”. I was gifted with the opportunity to experience this place, this time, these people, the excitement, fun, beauty, passion, commitment and struggle. With her, I was also faced with making hard choices: the individual or community, discovering and acknowledging who you are..(strengths and weaknesses, beauty and warts,) and reconciling that with who you’d like to be. What do you do when the dream intersects with reality? Do you diverge or do you merge? I could say so much more. I’ll just say READ IT!”— A Muse 5.0 out of 5 stars

“More than Just a wild and wooly memory! Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2019 Verified Purchase Carol’s tale of her commune days is not only a personal memoir of her own journey but a great documentation of the aspirations of so many baby boomers seeking authenticity and a way forward. Charming in its details, clever and fun to read, the book also prods us to take another look at our dreams of social justice, economic equity and how we can live alone and with others. I love this book and its author and I highly recommend the read for readers of all generations.” — Susan Merson 5.0 out of 5 stars 

“A memoir that reads like a great novel. This book/memoir is honest and hilarious and beautifully written. For those of us who lived through that era, and were deeply immersed in it, this book will bring back memories. For those too young or too unadventurous to have lived it, this book will open your eyes. Underlying the unquestionable love for the land and the commitment to one another that’s needed in a survival situation, is the author’s revelation that, in spite of all she went through, there are certain facts of her nature that her communal experience could not change: given the chance to create a new society, we end up creating something similar to what we escaped from. This memoir has the narrative drive of a great novel—I couldn’t put it down; and, as in a great novel, each character has a unique voice. Besides, it’s laugh-out-loud funny.” — Roberto Loiederman 5.0 out of 5 stars

“One woman’s personal journey into life on a commune Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2019 Verified Purchase If you’ve ever wanted to live on a commune for a couple of years and didn’t get around to it, you will love Carol Schlanger’s book Hippie Woman Wild. This book is the closest you can come to the actual experience of communal living. It’s the story of Carol Schlanger’s move, in pursuit of her lover, from conventional city living – job, apartment, etc. – to the chaotic, group living, back-to-nature life in the woods of Oregon. It details the situations that arise when group-living meets privacy demands and friendships collide with personal relationships and private property. It has all of the joy, sorrow and discovery of house sharing, working the land and getting back to nature. It’s a real page-turner as Ms. Schlanger discovers her deep love for her husband, her friends and finally, most importantly, for her own journey. Her storytelling is sharing an intimate level. Her writing is straightforward and spellbinding. Be prepared to stay up late and take time out of your next day as the story moves deeper into Ms. Schlanger’s personal trials and tribulations as she gets into and finally, out of communal living. The book is heart-warming, heart-breaking and always entertaining.” — Sally J Terwilliger 5.0 out of 5 stars

“I would love to see this book as a movie! Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2019 Verified Purchase Where do I begin? Humor? Check. Great writing style? Check. Drama? Check. Interesting characters? Check. One hell of a good story? Check. check CHECK! When I first began reading, I thought it was written tongue-in-cheek. I was thinking to myself, “How could this be true?” I mean, not to give away spoilers because this is on the first page, but there’s a dead body. A dead body! And it was sort of a comedy? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep reading but I sucked it up and continued on. Am I ever glad I did! This book was like reliving the 70’s. The story just got better and better. This is a five star memoir in every way.” –Terri Gostola 5.0 out of 5 stars 

“A fun and feral fairy tale… About a brave man and woman from vastly different backgrounds, who devoted themselves to the natural world and each other, and fell in love for life. Their escape into the wilds of Oregon’s nature, living apart from the political and cultural divides inflamed in the late 60’s, is titillating, shocking, scary, earthy and heartwarming. Makes one wonder if many of us would be so generous, courageous and clever in surviving if infra structures in our current culture fall away. Their commitment to communal living, with a rotating cast of lost souls, hippies and Hell’s Angels, is anthropologically educational and admirable. Treat yourself to a deep read and feel the sensuous, heady adventure of living off the land, off the grid, off the charts.” — Melanie Chartoff 5.0 out of 5 stars

“Fascinating and fun! This is a very well-written book that had me laughing out loud more than a few times. While I had a similar background to the author – she chose a completely different path and I learned a lot about a way of life I only heard about in bits and pieces during the early 70’s when I was finishing college. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about hippies and what the lifestyle entails for (at least) this one group of people and the author’s feelings & experiences. I bought a copy of this for a good friend who also lived off the land in Oregon at the same time. I’m giving it to her today :-)” — LuluJane 5.0 out of 5 stars