A Year in the Company of Freaks

A Year in the Company of Freaks is a”disarmingly appealing” tale of discrimination, transformation and restoration, Freaks is bursting with intrigue, drama, comic relief and romance.

About A Year in the Company of Freaks

It’s 1972 and a seismic clash-of-cultures is rattling northern California. In the redneck town of Trinity Springs, rumors of hippies migrating up from San Francisco have residents bracing for an invasion. When Italian-American hometown boy and Berkeley graduate Sid Jackson is busted for growing pot on his deceased parents’ farm, locals suspect the assault has begun. Will a crazy deferral program devised by the sheriff keep Sid out of prison? Or will a house full of eccentric strangers, a passionate love interest, and demons from his past be his undoing?

A “disarmingly appealing” tale of discrimination, transformation and restoration, Freaks is bursting with intrigue, drama, comic relief and romance. Reviewers agree this five-star, coming-of-age classic “very much reflects the attitude and mood of the times.”

My Thoughts

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this book when I read the plot summary but I fell in love with the story from page one. You learn to understand, respect and appreciate so many different aspects of life and beliefs.

We start off learning about our main character Sid, who turned bad boy after his parents died. He went away to school and learned about a lifestyle so different from the one his small town parents raised him in. He challenged all of his teachings, faith and even relationships with family and friends. All he wanted out of life was to have a good time and travel. When he is busted for growing pot in his small town, he faces a cross-road. Either face jail time or serve one year at home in his parents house. But for him, coming face to face with his past and his parents death could be his undoing.

I loved watching Sid grow mentally and emotionally throughout this book. He went from believing he knew everything and that the new hippie lifestyle was the way to be, to understanding and valuing the differences in lifestyles and appreciating the beliefs of others. He learns that you can be happy and not be high. What spoke to me the most was the healing that he went through over his parents death and living in their home. He goes through so much emotionally and spiritually and to be able to experience this is special. He grows as a person and has to learn to move forward with acceptance and love. But it’s not just him that goes through an understanding, his Godparents do as well. They learn to understand and accept the lifestyle and beliefs of their godson – to love him for all that he is.

A Year in the Company of Freaks is an amazing story of healing, understanding, the pitfalls of discrimination and hope. It is a definite must read novel that you will not want to put down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Author of highly-acclaimed “A Year in the Company of Freaks,” Teresa was raised in a large Midwest family and now lives in Oregon. She is also the author of “Bianca’s Vineyard,” and its sequel, “Domenico’s Table.” Both books are based on the true stories of her husband’s Italian family in Tuscany. In addition to enjoying family, writing, reading, meeting her readers, wine tasting, traveling, and all things Italian, Teresa loves playing the fiddle with other musicians.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.