Purchased with a generous Barnes & Noble gift card from a coworker. I very much enjoyed Monsters of Templeton and look forward to reading more of Groff's work. Description from Amazon:

In the fields of western New York State in the 1970s, a few dozen idealists set out to live off the land, founding a commune centered on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. Arcadia follows this romantic utopian dream from its hopeful start through its heyday. Arcadia's inhabitants include Handy, the charismatic leader; his wife, Astrid, a midwife; Abe, a master carpenter; Hannah, a baker and historian; and Abe and Hannah's only child, Bit. While Arcadia rises and falls, Bit, too, ages and changes. He falls in love with Helle, Handy's lovely, troubled daughter. And eventually he must face the world beyond Arcadia.

ETA 3-16-18: Promised to ReallyBookish in the Wish List Tag game.

Excellent book. Lauren Groff is fast becoming a favorite. I particularly liked the port of this story that took place in Arcadia, but enjoyed it all. I felt a kinship with Bit, although I didn't grow up in a commune; I did have parents who loved me and freedom to explore woods and fields, and a close kinship with nature. What resonated most for me was how different Bit's and Helle's childhoods and memories were, although they were young at the same time and place. The main difference was the parents, and although Bit's were not perfect, they provided him with security and stability.

Lauren Groff's prose is wonderful, and the story is a good one. Highly recommended!

Received safely today. Thank you so much for sending this my way, glade1!

This was a slog for me. I found it overwritten. It took me a looong time to read this book. I had no trouble setting the novel aside for long periods of time and I started and finished countless other books in the time that it took me to read this one. Never a good sign! It's a shame; this should have been right up my alley as I was very interested in the upstate New York 1960s commune setting. However, I never did connect with the characters or story in any meaningful way and I found that Groff's writing, rather than pulling me in, served instead to keep me at a distance.

I hope the finder enjoys the book!