At 16, Sharon has had enough. She is not cut out to be what her parents expect her to be. So, she leaves and heads out to California. California is not exactly what she thought it would be. And she has to make some drastic decisions and drastic mistakes.

This is a story which had me guessing my choices…you mean I could run off and live wild and free. It never occurred to me. I honestly do not see how this author survived. I love that she took her experiences and made herself so much better. It is just not in my DNA not to plan. I am envious of her ability to just roll with it! And believe me…Sharon rolled with everything! I totally understand why she left her home and it worked out for her in the end. But I could not help but feel sorry for her parents. They tried their best. But Sharon had to make her own way. And she did a great job!

This is a unique coming of age memoir not to be missed. It is full of sex, drugs and rock and roll! GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!

I received this audiobook for a honest review. ( )

1971 - Free love reigns and hippies are the center of the counterculture movement. Sixteen year old Sharon Dukett had enough of her parents and the rules and expectations laid out for her (get married and start a family) so she and her older sister move to California and thus begin some of the most formative coming of age experiences for Sharon. Drugs, new lovers, responsibilities (or lack thereof), protests, spiritualism, and travel. This memoir really encompasses what it was like to be a free spirit during the early seventies: communes, acid, feminism, hitchhiking, and so many elements are the norm. It's fascinating to grow up through her eyes as she experiences things that most of us will only ever read about. The level of memory it takes to recall all these stories (I assume the conversations are generalized - no one's memories are that good) is impressive. This memoir spans about two years and kind of has an abrupt ending. It was very enlightening - what a time to be alive! ( )

Thank you to #booktrib, She Writes Press and Tina Meyers "Loves To Read" for this book.

Quite a wild ride with this book. I'd never be able to leave my family or my house at 16 and travel around the country hitchhiking, finding employment (when she could), shacking up with strangers/men and living on a commune, and anywhere else she could find with anyone she could to make ends meet when she was ages 16-18. I wasn't mature enough but obviously she did it and seemed to enjoy it for the most part. Her parents weren't happy that she left home without their knowledge but she was living with her sister Anne for a while who was 21 at the time. I was dizzy with all the places she was going to and ended up for short periods of time.

Thank you Sharon Dukett for your honest memoir, your journey, and for the interesting trip through the 1970s and the hippie era. I grew up in the 1970s but Sharon is older than me. ( )

This memoir begins in Connecticut in 1971 when Sharon, at age 16, decides to get out of her house filled with rules and unsympathetic parents and run away to California to join the hippie culture. It's the story of the ups and downs of her life until she left her wandering life style and started college.

When she arrives in California she is thrown into an adult world that she isn't prepared for. There are lots of drugs, lots of sex and no stability to her life. She realizes that she has to learn quickly or be left behind. After several years of this lifestyle, she gets involved with the women's movement and realizes that she can make her own decisions instead of some man telling her what to do. Her book is very honest and she admits she made some mistakes but who doesn't make mistakes as they grow up. I enjoyed her honesty and her bravery at breaking so many rules along the way. She was very brave to make the changes that she did at such a young age. I can't relate to much of her story but I appreciate her sharing it with the world. ( )

I appreciate Sharon sharing her story about growing up in the 1970s and joining the women's movement. Which this was a big victory for women to be the leaders and voices that they are today in business and society.

Sharon may have did things like taking drugs or had various relationships but all these things shaped and were a part of her past. You can't change the past but you can embrace and move on from it. Which there is no judgment on how someone lives. That is why I like to read memoirs. You can learn a lot about someone's life.

While, I did like reading this book, I did feel a bit disjointed by my connection towards Sharon. I was not as invested in her as I would have liked to be while reading this book. Yes, this is still a good read. ( )