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In this memoir, the author recalls a life of adventure growing up during the 50s and 60s. The son of a doctor who "volunteered for the U.S. Public Health Service, which he stayed with for twenty-two years," Buchness and his family moved every three years during his formative years and lived in many U.S. cities as well as France. Against the backdrop of drastic social change occurring in the United States, he tells stories of family life from childhood through his adult years. From school-age antics to the stresses and realities of adulthood to the issues that arise with aging, Buchness walks readers through each era of his life in vivid detail, taking them from San Francisco to Paris to Washington D.C.
One of the most impressive things about this memoir is the author's ability to recall his past in such detail. His is an interesting past with the continuous relocating of his family due to his father's job. Buchness has perfect recall when describing each new city and adventure of his youth. As public and private events touch his life, he relates his impressions of them with honesty. He also candidly details his problems with alcohol and drugs, his practice of yoga, his interest in diet, and his reactions to pivotal events such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which occurred during his senior year of high school. Those who came of age during the same period will likely find common ground in the author's life. Meanwhile, those who didn't will undoubtedly learn something about one of the most interesting eras of American history.