Synopsis:
When Joshua Safran was four years old, his mother--determined to protect him from the threats of nuclear war and Ronald Reagan--took to the open road with her young son, leaving the San Francisco countercultural scene behind. Together they embarked on a journey to find a utopia they could call home. In Free Spirit, Safran tells the harrowing, yet wryly funny, story of his childhood chasing this perfect life off the grid--and how they survived the imperfect one they found instead.
Encountering a cast of strange and humorous characters along the way, Joshua spends his early years living in a series of makeshift homes, including shacks, teepees, buses, and a lean-to on a stump. His colorful youth darkens, however, when his mother marries an abusive and alcoholic guerrilla/poet.
Throughout it all, Joshua yearns for a "normal" life, but when he finally reenters society through school, he finds "America" a difficult and confusing place. Years spent living in the wilderness have not prepared him for the Darwinian world of teenagers, and he finds himself bullied and beaten by classmates who don’t share his mother’s belief about reveling in one’s differences.
Eventually, Joshua finds the strength to fight back against his tormentors, both in school and at home, and helps his mother find peace. But Free Spirit is more than just a coming-of-age story. It is also a journey of the spirit, as Joshua reconnects with his Jewish roots; a tale of overcoming adversity; and a captivating read about a childhood unlike any other.
Encountering a cast of strange and humorous characters along the way, Joshua spends his early years living in a series of makeshift homes, including shacks, teepees, buses, and a lean-to on a stump. His colorful youth darkens, however, when his mother marries an abusive and alcoholic guerrilla/poet.
Throughout it all, Joshua yearns for a "normal" life, but when he finally reenters society through school, he finds "America" a difficult and confusing place. Years spent living in the wilderness have not prepared him for the Darwinian world of teenagers, and he finds himself bullied and beaten by classmates who don’t share his mother’s belief about reveling in one’s differences.
Eventually, Joshua finds the strength to fight back against his tormentors, both in school and at home, and helps his mother find peace. But Free Spirit is more than just a coming-of-age story. It is also a journey of the spirit, as Joshua reconnects with his Jewish roots; a tale of overcoming adversity; and a captivating read about a childhood unlike any other.
My Thoughts:
Sometimes when I look back at my own crazy childhood, I have to wonder how I made it out a somewhat normal, functional adult. But then I read stories like this and all I can think is how I guess it could have been worse.
Joshua's life story begins when he is born to Claudia, a single woman who has dropped out of college to help bring on the revolution. She is a feminist and believes strongly that New America is just around the corner. After a one night stand, Claudia finds herself pregnant with Joshua. For the first few years of his life, they spend their time traveling between communes where they live with other feminists or activists, some of which take on a helping role in taking care of Joshua. His father, Claude, is unreliable and rarely shows up when he says he will.
I felt a connection with Joshua right away. His mother was clearly mentally unstable and this left him without a real home or family. He was constantly moved around to different homes and left with strangers. At even the young age of four, where most kids are only worrying about getting a swing during playtime at the park, Joshua is losing sleep at night worrying about nuclear bombs and war. I can't imagine how terrifying it must be to be that young and worrying about things so completely insane and having your own parent put those fears in your head.
I don't think it will come as a big shock to say that I absolutely despised Claudia. Even though it is clear that she has her own deep set of issues, I had a hard time finding and sympathy for her. She left her son with strangers, or even alone during the night because she just had to get out, and put her son in far too many inappropriate and violent situations that no person, especially a child, should ever have to live through. It was frustrating reading all the things that took place during Joshua's young life and not being able to reach through the pages and smack his mother around a bit.
Still, by the end of this story I couldn't help but find myself feeling uplifted and empowered. Even though his childhood was not ideal, Joshua still turns out to be a remarkable person to be proud of. Did he lay down and let life beat him? No way. Instead, he has used his experiences as a live a better life and he is thankful for the experiences he did have, even though they weren't always good ones.
Overall, Free Spirit is a truly amazing, although quite upsetting at times, story of a young boy coming of age in a far different world than the rest of us can even imagine. Joshua's feelings are honest, even at the hurt it may cause his mother at times, and his life story is one that will stay with me for a very long time. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who prefer deeper emotional reads and memoirs.
For more about Joshua Safran and Free Spirit, visit his website here.
Purchase:
*I received this book for free in exchange of an honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all vies and opinions expressed are 100% my own.
I've heard nothing but good things about this book. I'll have to get my hands on a copy soon.
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