Group Living and Other Recipes: A Memoir BY Lola Milholland

In Group Living and Other Recipes, Lola Milholland delivers a captivating memoir that reexamines the concepts of family and home through the lens of communal living.

Raised in Portland, Oregon, by unconventional hippie parents who embraced open-house living, Milholland's early life was marked by a steady flow of guests and an ever-changing household dynamic. As an adult, she returns to this familiar environment, where she joins her brother and his eclectic group of housemates in continuing the tradition of shared living. This time, the experiment is as much about personal growth as it is about creating a vibrant, supportive community.

Through lively accounts of the Holman House—a haven for spirited gatherings, shared meals, and creative endeavors—Milholland explores the highs and lows of communal living. The memoir is rich with vivid descriptions of transcendent dinners, raucous celebrations, and the intimate moments that forge deep connections among housemates. Milholland also reflects on her broader experiences with group living, from time spent at an intentional community in Washington State to studying in Japan and foraging for mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest.

Group Living and Other Recipes is both an exploration and a celebration of the ways in which shared spaces can foster a profound sense of belonging and interconnectedness. Milholland’s thoughtful, quirky, and candid narrative makes a compelling case for reimagining the structures that define our lives, suggesting that now, more than ever, is the right time to embrace new forms of family and home.