My first thought when I finish reading something written by Lauren Groff is always “how long will I have to wait to read something else by her?” Yes, her writing is that good! Groff’s latest, Arcadia, does not disappoint. It is a stunningly written, thought-provoking read. The novel opens in upstate NY in the late 1960s as the Free People are struggling to establish their Utopian commune. The story follows Bit, the Littlest Bit of Hippie, from his early childhood through his middle age. Bit’s journey to adulthood dovetails with the commune’s heyday and ultimate demise. While he loves the agrarian lifestyle and ad hoc family of unusual characters he finds himself living in the city as an adult until he is called back to Arcadia in the wake of tragedy. Groff deftly takes readers into a future world, the novel ends when Bit is 50 in the year 2018, where Bit must help his daughter through the difficult times of her own adolescence while revisiting his past. Arcadia is ultimately a tribute to memory, the events of childhood that shape us, and the beauty and heartbreak of life. Groff’s writing is exquisite and readers will feel that they have become a part of the past and the future which she has skillfully created. With Arcadia Groff proves herself to be one of the most gifted writers of the day, and yes, I can’t wait to see what she does next!