It’s hard to believe that simply wearing sandals could once mark you as a rebel, but in places like Berkeley, California during the early 1960s and Millthorpe, England in the 1880s, it was a powerful statement. Millthorpe was home to Edward Carpenter (1844-1929), an English socialist poet, philosopher, and activist who turned his back on an elite lifestyle and academic comforts to cultivate vegetables and craft sandals. Carpenters quest for a fulfilling life echoes the spirit of Berkeleys counterculture movement, as he candidly reflects on how he broke free from the constraints of civilization, rejecting the twin tyrannies of respectability and shallow intellectualism. Join us in this intimate memoir that delves into the passions and ideals that shaped his extraordinary journey. - Summary by Sue Anderson