Entertaining stories about a bunch of old hippies who take over the retirement home they live in, demanding freedom, and end to conservatorship, and peace in Vietnam

OK, it's improbable (after all it's meant to be a comic farce), and at times it seems insulting, because every other character is wearing Depends at 67, or senile at 72. But if you continue on, you realize we all may hit some point where we're in a flashback but we still deserve to be in control of our lives.

He has a point, behind the silly story of the Woodstock retirees' sit-in at the nursing home: "We are the invisible minority, cast aside by a culture aimed at satisfying only pubescent desires. What makes us unique from other minorities...is that we were once like you and, someday, you will join us. A landlord or employer would never treat a black man with contempt if he was certain of becoming one. How can you treat the aged as nonentities, knowing where you yourself are going?"

Although Sandlin certainly has a knack for comedic dialogue, this book reverberates with a deeper message than the lost art of free love being revitalized by aging Baby Boomers. Although it is about a generation reclaiming what they can of their youth and analyzing their triumphs and pitfalls, it is also a deep criticism of this society's treatment of its senior citizens. A grim look into the future, as Boomers face retirement and nursing care, the hippies become aware that they have aged as they never thought they would. The ultimate youth-centric generation realizes the society they helped form has turned against them. And something has to be done--as one middle-aged protester's poster exlaims, "Glorify your Elders."

I'm of the generation this novel is written for, while at the same time of the generation that is the brunt of the satire...so I liked it, but couldn't love it. Someone truly young should not waste the time -reading this novel would require so much time spent with Google that could be better spent taking selfies or composing some Twitter thing. Just saying...

Guy Fontaine is an Okie (although not from Muskogee) who, in 2022, finds himself in assisted living on the California coast with the 70- and 80-year olds of Haight Ashbury and the Summer of Love. It only takes him a few days to learn to appreciate the finer points of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. But he’s still a Heartlander, not bound by ideas of peace, love and harmony when the facility’s director decides to euthanize a cat. As the assisted community reverts to commune, the music blares, the bras come off, the Viagara appears and the Man is at the gate. It’s a hoot-and-a-half. The humor rings true and there is no patronizing these dudes. I appreciate that.

It's the year 2023 (the year Jimi Hendrix would have turned 80 had he lived that long), and an Oklahoma sportswriter named Guy Fontaine finds himself remanded to an assisted living facility in Northern California after a brief incident involving a golf cart and the CHP. He finds himself surrounded by aging hippies, who segregate themselves (the Marin hippies, Berkeley hippies, etc.) and still engage in bitter partisan squabbles over virtually nothing. It's pretty apparent Guy doesn't fit in here. The lazy, pill pushing resident doctor, Dalton Beaver diagnoses him with dementia (contrary to available evidence) and recommends heavy medication.
Many of the residents have placed there against their wills.
When the evil, Nurse Ratched-like head administrator, Alexandra Truman moves to take away an illicit pet from a resident, the seniors take her and Dr. Beaver as hostages, and take over Mission Pescadero to protest their ill treatment.
Now I understand "Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty" is a farce, but the stereotypes are way too broad. The ancient hippies all come off as petulant children with hopelessly stuck in the past. When they take over the facility, they chant anti-Nixon slogans. Huh? All the villains may as well have waxed handlebar mustaches to twiddle while they plot their evil plots.
And this is a pity, because Mr. Sandlin is a fine writer, and hidden among the ridiculous characters and implausible occurrences, there is a lovely book about facing death, and the diminishment of old age.

Funny ... but serious themes underneath the grins. Just imagine counterculture types revolting in their assisted living facility. Yeah, really. Just read it.

Thanks to Meg for pointing me to this one.

OK.... too many characters.

I must confess ...I picked this up in a consignment shop because the title and cover caught my attention. Not always the best criteria for choosing a book, I know. However, this was a good summer read...in the future year of 2022 (book was published in 2007) the main character, Guy, a recent transplant from Oklahoma, finds himself unexpectedly living in a senior care community in California with a bunch of old hippies. At times very funny, but also sad and poignant. Lots of cultural references, some nostalgic and some which no author could anticipate would not be relevant in the future (going to Radio Shack for walkie-talkies), no smartphones or tablets in sight. also good commentary on American society’s view of the elderly.

6/08

Dark and funny. Flawed characters interesting to a point, but the evil is a bit much. Lots of stereotypes-- add to humor, but leave something to be desired.

This book was hilarious and wonderful! Being throughly packed with 60's references I found many things I had not yet known about that decade.

It ends well but you hate to realize that, yes you do age and you can't be yound forever.