I Was Once an Interesting Person by Patti Bean

A wild, hilarious novel that is also written with deep sincerity, I Was Once an Interesting Person by Patti Bean tracks the life of protagonist Katie from picket-fence 50’s conformity, through the substance-fueled hippie excesses of the Woodstock generation, to motherhood and the melancholy compromises of becoming an adult. Though written from the lens of a certain generation, the novel is eminently relatable to anyone looking back on their more rambunctious years, while wondering where the years have gone. An addictive, amusingly tangential read, which is conveyed with a distinctive voice and disarming frankness, Bean’s novel beautifully captures the idealistic dreams of youth and the sometimes disappointing realities of growing up.