The Key Is in the Breastbone

The Key Is in the Breastbone: A Creative Coming of Age invites readers into the raw, resilient heart of Carol Ladas Gaskin's extraordinary life-an adventure that traces the true spirit of the 1960s' counterculture far beyond its iconic moments.

At the height of historical cultural upheaval in 1968, Carol, her young daughter, and a small group of close friends headed to the wilderness of British Columbia, determined to forge a life of purpose and meaning far removed from mainstream society. Their experiment in intentional community was no easy escape; it was a daily test of courage, ingenuity, and endurance.

Carol recounts the challenges of off-grid living: battling frozen waterlines, braving harsh winters, and confronting hungry wildlife in the vast, untamed landscape. Yet her story is about much more than mere survival. Drawing on the lessons of a tumultuous childhood, psychedelic revelations experienced within and outside the community, and the discovery of strong familial bonds she didn't know she had on a later pilgrimage to her ancestral homeland in Greece, Carol shapes a narrative of creative awakening and self-discovery, molding the clay of loss and transformation, and exploring adversity as the kiln for both artistry and healing.

Now 85 years old, Carol Ladas Gaskin is a poet, teacher, therapist, artist, and matriarch. Her story is not just her own-it is an intergenerational odyssey of dreams, identity, and profound healing. The Key Is in the Breastbone is a testament to the enduring power of self-exploration and community, inviting readers to rediscover the deeper legacy of the counterculture: the courage to seek, create, and transform.