We also learn about Bit’s empathetic nature, his desire to care for others as he is taken in by the women who handle the childbirth in the commune. We see Hannah’s bouts of depression, and her inability for a time to get out of bed.

We see the dynamic between his parents, Abe and Hannah. What we are getting in this section is seeing this world through Bit’s eyes, and his not fully understanding what is happening. It is laying the groundwork for this novel, and it does pay off in the end, but getting through it did feel taxing at times. I will say this, the first section does go on. And though there are several sections, the book moves into the third part, which is Bit’s adulthood, and the creation of his own family.

Inevitable, all of this leads to the breakup of the commune, and Bit’s family escapes to New York City. Here we find Bit in his adolescence, experiencing love and sex, and the pressures from his parents to behave and act in support of their desires and goals. The next section of the book deals with the Arcadia, and the second wave of people who want to join the commune. This is the first section of the book, and it establishes the dynamic between the community, leadership, and family life for Bit, and the community as a whole. Bit’s real name is Ridley, but when he is born to his hippie parents, he is a very small baby, and is nicknamed “Bit” because he is “Little Bit of a Hippie.” His parents are part of a hippie commune on a sprawling, but neglected, upstate New York estate, Arcadia, which the commune is in the process of repairing and repurposing. As I am a fan of her short stories, I was looking forward to reading one of her novels.Īrcadia is about a guy named Bit, and the novel follows him through his life childhood, adolescents, and adulthood.

In my effort to catch up on my reading, I made the time for Laruen Groff’s book. I want to believe that I am normal in that regard that I receive books as gifts, and then never get around to reading them… for like a decade. I got Arcadia as a Christmas gift back in 2015, and then never read it. I’m writing this now, but it might change.)

Arcadia lauren groff book review