The book was praised by Michiko Kakutani in "The New York Times" as "a gem of a novel, a novel that showcases [Swann's] eye for detail, her psychological acuity, her ability to conjure up a particular place and time," and summarized in the "Newly Released" column of "The New York Times", where Amy Virshup wrote, "In this slim volume she returns to the story, about four young children being raised by their hippie parents on a farm in rural Pennsylvania (which tracks closely Ms. Swann's own childhood). The eight chapters take the children from the paradise of their early childhood ... to young adulthood when they return to the farm as visitors."