Peggy Caserta, founder of the famous Haight-Ashbury hippie boutique Mnasidika, and lover and girlfriend of Janis Joplin, was a Louisiana homecoming queen turned airsick stewardess who eventually landed in 1960s San Francisco and set up shop. Her store was a hang-out for The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company; it was where Wes Wilson’s posters hung and Bill Graham sold concert … concert tickets and Owsley’s LSD was enjoyed.
Caserta’s world of psychedelic peace, love, LSD, and rock kaleidoscoped into bereavement, heroin addiction, prison, and desperation. She was hated, betrayed, and self-exiled, and after many, many years has recovered, returning home to the bayou to care for her mother with dementia.
Now Caserta is giving a new generation an inside-look into a revolution—both countercultural and personal—in her new memoir. It’s the celebration of a transitional time in history, and an attempt at redemption.
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Self promoting, self congratulating, self aggrandizing. She would have taken credit for inventing the internet had Al Gore not beaten her to it. Just couldn’t get past the first chapter. Bleh
I found this book to be a truly remarkable and unforgettable life story. Her honesty is to be admired.
Half way through, I’d had enough. Interesting to a point about a period in my life that presented opposite experiences to those I enjoyed.
Sex, drugs and rock and roll. The tumultuous 60s in the ever famous Haight Ashbury. Turns out Peggy’s life goes full circle. Unconditional love, parenting and finally home to the role reversal of child parent. The journey from wealth and clout to washed up then out. Getting clean so many times only to find a vein again. Addiction finally lost. However, this book is an insight into the decade of great music when the times were changing. Excellent read.
Interesting to read of someones experience during a very interesting time and place in US history.
Well-written and brought back memories of an epoch time while I was growing into my teen-aged years. Her honesty and transparency is something to behold
Interesting view about the mid 60’s early 70’s.
I’m glad this was free to me – it was worth every penny, but no more. The writing was ok, but there did not seem to be any real point to the book other than to refute an earlier published account of the author’s relationship with Janis Joplin and her death. It was somewhat interesting in its description of the early Haight-Asbury, but much more so in its later unrelated Hurricane Katrina aftermath.
It makes me glad I never got involved in the drug scene during the 60s. Peggy’s story is only partially about Janice Joplin. It is mainly about her tragic life that is living somewhat redeemed presently. At times it made me want to just wrap my arms around her and say God Loves you – you can overcome!
Interesting first person account of recent history. A time off myth and rumor, this is a good honest account of a time that lives in rumor and myth.
Interesting inside view of San Francisco Haight hippie scene.
I was there at the at the time. The author really hit it on the head. It all just got out of hand.
Interesting presentation of the 60’s. I was a teen then and remember it well. The facts of the times and personalities seems more believable than the standard history of the legends.
Did not like.hard to finish
An interesting read about a woman who played a part in the Haight Ashbury times in the 60s and her life during that time and after. The book is easy to read though confusing at times. It is tragic to read about the impact drugs have on her life.
Writer is funny, and bares her soul about her difficult life (she chose!) and addictions. I liked the beginning and the end, but got a bit tired of the bad choices she would make to screw up her life. All and all, I did enjoy it, and loved the unexpected ending.
Provided an intimate view into the drug culture of the Hippy Generation.
Thought I would learn something about San Francisco and Haight-Asbury, but very self-centered book that I did not even finish.
Story from the 60s
This was a good read for those of us that grew up in the 70s. Very realistic and I knew of people just like the story.