My Beautiful Hippie

Gr 9 Up—Joanne, 15, lives with her family in the Haight District of San Francisco during the 1967 Summer of Love. When she meets free-spirited Martin, she is introduced to a lifestyle that contradicts the traditional values of her middle-class family. Joanne is a quiet, socially withdrawn piano player with one close friend, Rena. However, the girls begin to grow apart as Rena pursues her interest in the San Francisco theater scene and Joanne pursues her interest in Martin and his brother's famous local band. Martin's spontaneous nature leaves her both excited and put off by their lack of consistent plans and commitment. Joanne's siblings are also struggling with the changing times. Her sister has just sacrificed her college education to marry an older, chauvinist professor, and her brother is actively avoiding school so he can be drafted to fight in Vietnam. The story climaxes when the three siblings all reach a crossroads. Readers may find some of the cultural references and plot devices to be heavy-handed and contrived in an effort to cover multiple aspects of the era. However, the ending is believable and satisfying. Teens will relate to Joanne's changing relationships and family dynamics, and her struggle to define herself outside of her family.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD