I read a lot of thrillers, sometimes I need a break from the thrill and read something heart-felt. I couldn’t have read a better book that Eldonna Edwards’s CLOVER BLUE. The story, like in her previous book, THIS I KNOW, was moving and kept my attention the entire time. Read this book, you will thank me later!

Set in a California commune in the 1970s, Clover Blue loves his life. His questions about life are original and heart felt. I had a bit of a time getting into this book, but it is worth the read.

Clover Blue was such an engaging look into a commune in the 70's that I was instantly returned to my teenage years in the mid to late 1970's. Living in Northern California, approximately 50 miles from San Francisco, there were a few communes I was aware of (from eavesdropping on my parents, of course!) and although we weren't in the same communities, I always wanted to visit. That never happened, but along came Clover Blue, providing me with that longed for visit!

The characters in this novel are so alive and real that they leapt from the pages, demanding my attention. I especially enjoyed Clover Blue and Harmony. Their relationship felt so free and easy, kind of how we hope our childrens' childhoods are. This author did a great job not only with the wonderful descriptions that made me feel I was there, but with the undercurrents found swirling around this peaceful group of friends.

If you have even considered picking up one of Eldonna Edwards' books, this is the one. Before starting, maybe put on some 70's tunes, chill out and get ready to ignore the world of 2019 as a hippie utopia unfolds before your eyes.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.

As a person who grew up in the '70's, I thought I knew where this tale was going - hippies, drugs, sex, and free love could only lead to ruination, right? Instead, the story explores what it might have been like to grow up in a commune, surrounded by good intentions, the natural world, and love. The description of life in the commune is eye-opening and gives a POV that had never really been considered by this reader.

The title character is content, but starts to question his past as the history he's been told doesn't seem to add up. When he eventually discovers the truth, he's conflicted - does he remain loyal to the only 'family' he's ever known, or does he try to make things right, which will jeopardize the future of the entire commune population. His journey to self awareness and conviction is emotional and heart wrenching.

This book is a fast read - well written with a good balance between descriptive passages and dialogue. The time period is captured perfectly and the main character is one we root for throughout his trials and tribulations as he finds his way.

Having read Eldonna's beautiful book This I Know, I was excited to read Clover Blue, knowing once again I would love her style of writing and she did not disappoint. I was swept away to a time in the 70's to the Saffron Freedom Community with rich descriptions of the landscape, the commune, and the free-loving, family group of followers who are loyal to Goji their leader. The emotions run deep between Clover Blue, and his friend Harmony and they share an incredible bond helping one another . There are moments that made me cry for the incredible pain of loss, and history of Blue's background where he wants to know the truth of his real birth family. I laughed at the fun they had for there was joy along with sorrow and the two often intermingled bringing a richness to the compelling story that each character experienced as they revealed the deep long held secrets kept from each other. This is an extraordinary book, one that is about coming of age for Clover Blue and different from others I have read; it was one I was so glad to learn more about the history of those times. And the ending brings this mystery to a beautiful closure about truth, love and forgiveness.

Clover Blue is set in the 1970's in the Saffron Freedom Community, which is a group set on living differently and 'freely'. In a group full of love and philosophical thinking, Blue reflects early on how free is he really? After witnessing a group member birth a child, Clover Blue starts to question his first family.

This novel does a great job transporting you to their community and living through all of their experiences. There were many times I had no idea where the novel was going, and I was completely invested in every character.

Thank you to Netgalley, Eldonna Edwards and Kensington Books for the advanced reading copy. 4/5 stars.

I loved this book! Not only did it take me back to the 1970s, which is a time I lived through, but it also was full of wonderful characters, people that I came to know and love, just as they all loved each other.

I loved the deep friendship that Blue and Harmony had together and the strength that they drew from each other. Really, the dynamics of everyone in the Community was so interesting. This story captured what I think it was probably like to live in a commune in the 70s, with all the peace and love that was the motto back then.

Clover Blue is perfectly content in the only life he has known, until he starts asking the Olders about his life before he arrived at the Saffron Freedom Community. So typical of teenagers of any time period, he questions his elders and questions their motives, that rebellion things we all go though. As he digs for answers, will he be content to stay where he has lived most of his life?

Clover Blue is a unique, beautiful story that I loved getting lost in. I loved everything about it—the cast of characters, the relationships both in the community and with the outside world, witnessing the love and support that they all gave each other, and watching Clover Blue grow and mature into a fine young man. I highly recommend Clover Blue and you definitely need to add it to your TBR list.

Clover Blue by Eldonnna Edwards is heartwarming and heart wrenching story about growing up in an alternative style family and the difference between tribe and family. It is an emotional story of a boy’s search for identity and coming to terms with what he has been told and reality. This is a story with many ups and downs and held me from the start.

Clover Blue is a 12-year-old boy who has lived in the Saffron Freedom Community, SFC, for as long as he can remember. Clover Blue knows that he is loved and safe living among the sister-mothers and brothers. This is a community that lives off the grid and lives according to the tenets of Goji, their teacher.

After witnessing the birth of a new member of the community, Clover Blue begins to question his identity. Who was he before SFC adopted him? What is his real name, since Goji renamed him? Who is his mother How did he come to SFC? Goji has always been able to answer and soothe Clover Blue’s inquisitive mind, however this time, it is not working. Clover Blue loves this close knit family group that he has at SFC, but something seems to missing.

Clover Blue continues to seek answers to his questions and it leads him to doubt his place in SFC. He loves the community and does not want any of the members to come to harm. But one final act by Goji leaves him unforgiving.

This is a compelling story. It is well written and the characters are very interesting. It would be very easy to make them cliché, but Eldonna Edwards has written them not as portrayed as stereotyped hippies but as individuals who are seeking something better for themselves and creating it with love and compassion.

I highly recommend this book. It is well written and the characters are well defined and interesting, each with their own story. Thank you #Netgalley and #JohnScognamiglioBook for approving my request. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Clover Blue is a different book than I typically read, and a different story than I’ve ever read. Set mainly in the 1970s, the author tells of the life of the title character and the many interesting people who surround him. I found the story so compelling and emotional. I have not read anything else by this author but will be changing that immediately. A very sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this fantastic book in return for my honest review.

This is Eldonna Edwards' sophomore novel, firmly establishing her as a go-to author for character-driven, coming of age fiction. Clover Blue is a boy growing up on a small California commune in the 70s. Secrets from his past make Clover Blue begin to question his place in the world and his relationships with the people he's grown to love since before he could remember. Taking place in the same era as "Daisy Jones & the Six", "Clover Blue" is a colorful addition to a bookshelf that transports the reader to a time that is a bit farther away than some of us might care to admit. It's definitely a time worth visiting, and the music and the vibe will linger on even when you're done reading.

Clover Blue was my first read by author Eldonna Edwards. It definitely will not be my last. This book was very well written and researched. It was so good it pulled me right in and I did not want to put it down. The characters were well written and likeable. Clover Blue was a quick and easy read and it will stay with you for a long time. This book made me laugh and it made me cry. I felt as if I was right there with the characters. I was a teenager in the 70’s and I remember Rock and Roll, free love, hip hugger bell bottoms, running around barefoot, sex and drugs. Communes with secrets. It is all here in this book. The ending will definitely take you by surprise. I highly recommend this book to all readers,

Eldonna Edwards, Author of “Clover Blue” has written an intriguing, captivating, compelling, emotional and memorable novel. I love the way Eldonna Edwards writes her story and vividly describes the characters, community, and landscape. The Genres for this story are Fiction and Mystery. This is also a Coming of Age Novel. The author has written an amazing and thought-provoking story. The story takes place in Northern California in the 1970s in a small commune. The music that is described takes me back in time, singing songs silently. The author describes her colorful cast of characters as unique, questioning, hardworking, complicated and complex.

Clover Blue has the most amazing blue eyes, and often enjoys his days with his best friend Harmony in the Saffron Freedom Community. The leader of the group, Goji believes in living off the earth, going back to nature, and homeschooling. Goji is extremely Philosophical and seems to have an answer for everything. There is a spirit of caring and love in this commune with the differences in the individuals that make it up.

When one of the women gives birth, Clover Blue starts to wonder which of the women is his mother. After asking Goji, Clover Blue seems to get only the information that he is adopted by the group and will find out more information when he is 12 years old. As time passes some new members join.

Clover Blue becomes obsessed with knowing who he is, not realizing the danger and damage that can be caused. Can Clover Blue’s deepest wishes come true?

I loved everything about this novel, and would highly recommend this story.

It takes a village- or the Saffron Freedom Community- to raise a child. Clover Blue has been raised in and by the commune but at the age of 12, he wants to know who his birth parents are and how he came to be. He's always followed the group's leader, Goji, but now he's questioning things- a lot. The people of the commune- Harmony and Gaia in particular- are well done and realistic. If you, like me, vividly remember the 1970s, this one might cause 8 track flashbacks. If you don't (or if you weren't born), you'll get a good sense of how things were. No matter, it's a universal story of a child looking for his past and forming his future. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

The first half of this book is what everyone thinks a commune should be: peace, love, and harmony. There is little strife. Ms. Edwards firmly establishes the Saffron Freedom Community is not one of those places with an over-zealous, sex-addicted, drug-addicted leader, none of the sensationalized cult behaviour that people have come to assume takes place. Even when Clover Blue asks about his birth family and is pushed off by Goji, the leader emotions remain even keel. Clover isn't too put out not knowing, it just nags him a bit in the back of his mind. The story is slow and sets the foundation that life just might be perfect in the little commune. Then finally, a new person shows up and upsets the balance and the story starts moving. I would have preferred less time spent on the slow meandering set up and more time spent on detailing the action in the second half of the book. It all felt very rushed and condensed, if only because the first half was so slow.

This was a beautifully written story about a young man's journey through self discovery, heartache, and forgiveness.
As someone who never experienced the 60s or 70s I have to say this was a very enlightening novel about a culture and community of people I knew nothing about. While I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I found there were a few pockets where the book moved at a very slow pace, but overall it was definately worth it.
Thank you NetGalley, Eldonna Edward's and Kensington for allowing me the opportunity to provide my honest opinion of Clover Blue.

I loved this book and time period in the hippie era.
It was well written and researched and you wanted to root on the little girl.
It was a really good book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book I

This was such a good book. It was so well written and obviously researched or lived it one. Maybe both. It touches on a few subjects that existed back in the late 60s and early to mid or late 70s. I was a teen in the 70s but living where I did we didn’t see a lot of free love. We did have us a wonderful senior class president who had very long hair. He was perfect for the job. My now husband had the hair too. It was just the thing back then along with the bell bottoms that covered your feet. Halter tops and either barefoot or in sandals..

I loved how this author captured this era so perfectly and the names of the characters were perfect. I fell madly in love with Clover Blue. He was such a good child and Harmony, she was one tough kid. The whole group in this book were so very likable and well developed. I was drawn in from the very first page and could not put this book down. Another one I read in two days. At times we have to put things on hold just to read. This was one of those times.

I refuse to write a book report here. I just have to say that you will love this book. Especially if you are a child from the 70s. Even if you aren’t you will want to be after reading this book. It makes you feel like you are there with these characters. Running around barefoot and free. I didn’t see myself running around naked but sure did the barefoot part. I think the 70s was one of the best eras ever.

Thank you to NetGally and Kensington Books for my ARC in exchange for my complete and honest review.

I give this book a huge 5 stars. It is so very good. There are parts that will make you laugh and parts that will make you cry, hard cry too. But it’s such a good story. I highly recommend this book. Peace, Love and No War please!!

Clover Blue is an engrossing, wonderful book about belonging. To write from the point of view of a pre-teenage boy in the 1970s must have been a big stretch for the female author, but in my opinion she pulled it off beautifully. I never went to a commune, but for the length of time it took to read this book, I was immersed in one. I really loved how the author showed us both sides of communal living: the sweet people who inhabited the commune and the freedom to live life freely, as well as the lack of understanding how the rest of the world lived. Clover Blue wondered which world he belonged in, and that is the story. Trust me, if you can open your mind to embrace a world you might never have known, you will love this book.

Last year, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Edwards' debut novel, This I Know. Ever since, I've been looking forward to seeing what she would follow that up with, so I was genuinely thrilled to have my request from NetGalley be approved! This book opens in a commune in Northern California and covers from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. It's an engaging read from the very beginning, with ten year old titular character, Clover Blue, witnessing the birth addition of Aura to the Saffron Freedom Commmunity. Though all of the sister-mothers act as parents to the Youngers, Aura's birth incites our narrator to question who his birth parents are for the first time. It is with this powerful opening that this coming-of-age tale begins.

There are some really beautiful moments here - along with some heartbreaking ones, too. I really loved every minute and page of reading this one. Edwards' characters all come to life and I am so thankful for the very last chapter that provides more of an epilogue of sorts. All in all, this is just a great book and I really loved it! it's fresh, completely original and impossible to put down. I think, that it will do well with book clubs and discussion groups, too. Blue's story is sad, but fascinating and he is such a likable character! I am so excited for more from this talented author! No sophomore slump here at all!!

A coming-of-age story about a little boy set in the 1970's. The characters came alive on every page and got to know them so well. Another fabulous book club pick!