Summary: Chapter 1
The opening chapter introduces to the hippie commune, Drop City. Here the
people are said to live a free life, void of all the troubles that is associated with the
conforming “bourgeois”. The hippie commune, although in a present time, focuses on
classic rock, old thinking, and classic hippie ideas. The narration spends the chapter
focusing on a character by the name of Star. She came to Drop City to escape from her
parents and society. She has found that the life she dreamed being a hippie would be is
not perfect. She has been forced into sex with a man named Ronnie, who she arrived to
the commune with. Star thinks about the past weeks that she has spent at the commune
who consists of a life of drugs, sex, and no privacy. The chapter ends with a man, Marco,
pulling Star onto his tree house to share a joint.
Summary: Chapter 2
The narration flashes back to Marco trying to hitch a ride on an empty ride. He
seems true to his drifter roots. He does not care where he sleeps. He is not in a hurry. He
enjoys nature and the drug scene is not a demand to his life. After a long time on the
road, Marco gets picked up by a bearded man named Norm Sender. They both get to
talking and learn that they are both headed to Drop City. Norm tells Marco that he is the
owner of the land and founder of Drop City. The two travel back to the commune, where
Marco although having been there before, is welcomed unenthusiastically. Marco leaves
the “greeting” party to go build a tree house. While building, Ronnie walks up to him and
begins to talk. Marco starts dislike Ronnie and keeps on building.
Summary: Chapter 3
The chapter takes the view of Ronnie as he sits alone near the water while taking
mescaline. He thinks of how he knows more than the others. He does not contribute to the
commune life, but has his fair share of drugs. While sitting alone, he is approached by a
black man, Lonnie, who invites him to join them in one of the houses for a little get
together. Ronnie hesitantly accepts where he learns that there is a runaway girl, aged
fourteen, staying at the commune. While at the party, Lonnie and another man begin to
rape the girl. Ronnie feels that he should say something, but feels too stoned to get up and
do anything. The scene ends and Ronnie wakes up with blood behind his head and in a lot
of pain. He then walks to the lake, where a woman Reba fills him in on the rape that
occurred the previous night. Norm is worried of the legal trouble and is looking to kick
off those responsible for the rape. Ronnie admits to Reba that he was there, where Reba
ends the chapter saying, “I hope you won’t rape me.”
Summary: Chapter 4
The chapter begins with a meeting held in the main house. The inhabitants of
Drop City view the meeting as another social event, taking light of the rape that occurred
the previous night. During the meeting, Star gets lost in her own thoughts about her life
before Drop City. She was a typical nobody in high school. Her thoughts are unoriginal
despite her desperate attempt to be an individual. She thinks about the conformist nature
of the suburbs. When she comes back to the meeting, the group talks about the sewage
problem and how no one has been taking care of their waste. The initial reaction is
consider a closed door policy but is quickly shut down. The meeting then turns to the
subject of the rape, and all eyes fall on Ronnie. An argument begins about Ronnie and the
black people in Drop City as being a problem. The typical issue of racism comes up,
quieting down the entire group. Marco takes the stand and says that he will talk to all of
them about the issue and that they should leave Drop City. Marco leaves the group and
talks to the blacks where an argument of racism ends the chapter.
Summary: Chapter 5
Marco is working alone in the ditch, trying to fix the sewage problem. He is alone
for a long time. Eventually, Marco shows up and lends a helping hand. Marco reflects on
his life as a kid where he was a trouble maker. He then thinks of the lack of help in the
community, how everyone is only there for a good time. Alfredo then talks to Sky Dog
about leaving the commune. Sky Dog begins to mouth off, and in a fit of rage, Marco
beats up Sky Dog. The ending of the chapter, Ronnie appears with a dead dear in his
head.
Summary: Chapter 6
For a lot of the people at Drop City, the sight of the dead dear brings a lot of
objections. The same vegetarian cries and love of animals sounds throughout, however,
when the food is prepared, the line is filled. Marco helps Ronnie cut up the deer. A man
with his wife comes to see Drop City. While they are there, they interview Ronnie. He
gets caught up, talking about how great the commune is. Everything he says is a lie.
Ronnie then throws the evidence of the interview into a fire, and runs off to another part
of the camp.
Summary: Chapter 7
The book shifts to a new area. It is Alaska and the character is named Cecil
Harder. He is a lonely man who keeps mostly to himself. He has come into to town to
have lunch with a girl named Pamela. While talking to her, Sess realizes that he really
likes her. The two leave lunch and head out to his cabin. Pamela loves the cabin and after
a night with Sess, feels that it could be a place to live forever. Sess tries to sleep in the
same bed as Pamela; however, she is waiting for marriage, leaving Sess to make his own
bed.
Summary: Chapter 8
The next day, Sess and Pamela continue to talk and get to know each other.
Pamela begins to talk about her fears and even talks about why she wants to get back to
nature. Her reasons are legitimate. Sess spends the rest of the day showing off the cabin
and the surrounding area that he has made his home. It is an impressive residence the
Sess still believes needs work. Sess later tells Pamela about the girl that previously lived
with him. Her name was Jill and she had gone through cabin fever during the long winter.
Pamela understands and tells Sess that he should not worry about that happening to her.
Summary: Chapter 9
The next day Pamela leaves Sess to go meet a man named Walpole, another
suitor. When Sess drops her off, he is so anxious, that he decides to go to a bar and get
extremely drunk. He sits at the bar, obsessing over Pamela. He feels in love and when her
visit with Walpole ends, she comes back to Sess and agrees to marry him.
Summary: Chapter 10
The wedding between Sess and Pamela starts the chapter. It is a small event. A
drunken Joe Bosky tries to crash the event, but is quickly kicked out. The wedding crowd
gets very drunk, and eventually comes to a halt. Pamela thinks about all the courting that
has gone down in the past weeks, and is happy to have picked Sess. Sess takes Pamela
back to the cabin to an eerie silence. When they get closer, they see that all the dogs have
been shot dead.
Summary: Chapter 11
The story shifts back to California. Among the many days of party and
celebration, Druid Day is one that important to all members of Drop City. It is the day of
the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Everyone there is celebrating by tripping
on acid. The group is all around doing there own thing, focusing on the acid trip. Lester,
Franklin, and Sky Dog force their way to the front of the line for receiving the acid. They
are unwelcome in the camp after the rape incident, but no one is willing to stand up and
kick them out. Eventually Sky Dog gets on Marco’s nerves, and Marco beats him up.
Summary: Chapter 12
Norm and Marco head into town to get supplies. While on the road, Norm begins
to ask Marco questions about Star, and how serious they are. After small talk, Norm
confesses that the government has become more of a burden on Drop City and that the
commune is going to come to an eventual halt due to financial issues. As they head back,
Norm hits a horse and gets into a major car accident, still tripping from the acid. Marco
hops out of the car. Leaving Norm behind at the accident, Marco sprints back to Drop
City to get help. When he gets there, chaos seems to have taken over. Che, one of the
commune children, has drowned in the lake and is unconscious. The other child,
Sunshine, is missing. With no one, including the mother of the children, able to do
anything, Star revives Che and Marco finds Sunshine.
Summary: Chapter 13
The commune’s inhabitants are relaxing on the porch after all the excitement. In
the distance, they can see a patrol car coming closer. The car stops, and the officers get
out, asking for Norm. The hippies play stupid and begin to act overly bizarre, putting on a
show for the cops. Norm has disappeared. Eventually, Dale comes out and offers so form
of assistance and speaks to the cops legally. They then say that everyone is resisting
arrest. Everyone is forced to the ground. In the end, it is only Dale who is arrested. The
others are let go. Norm then appears from out of no where and says that there needs to be
a group meeting.
Summary: Chapter 14
The atmosphere of the meeting is very tense. Many people are anxious to what
Norm has to say. Along with the anxiety, many have become tired as they crash from the
acid trip. Norm comes to the front of the room and announces that they have to shut down
Drop City. A surge of questions comes up. Norm tells the group that he has an uncle who
has land up in Alaska and now that he is gone, they are more than welcome to use it.
Many people instantly become nervous, thinking the worst of Alaska. However, with no
where else to go, mostly everyone agrees to go. They end the night by partying as was
scheduled. The atmosphere is not as happy as it should be. At the end, Ronnie takes Star
back to his area, where he drugs and uses her.
Summary: Chapter 15
Marco wakes up to the rain hitting there bus as the drove north to Alaska. He sees
the group laughing and having a good time. Most of Drop City has come along for the
trip, even those who complained that Alaska was not a good idea. Many see the trip, not
as work up ahead, but as a party in itself. Marco begins to think about crossing the
border, where he gets really nervous. The narration sends a series of dark omens,
including thunderous noises and rain.
Summary: Chapter 16
The story shifts back to Alaska, where Sess is mourning over the loss of his dogs.
Sess is so upset, that he seems to ignore Pamela. That night, they get really drunk
together. Pamela keeps up with Sess to the end. Eventually, they both pass out. The next
day, Sess and Pamela work on the house, making plans for what they want to do. They go
into town. Sess, in need of a vehicle, goes to a friend’s house only to find the truck
missing. In a fit of desperation and revenge, Sess sees Joe Bosky’s Mustang and takes it.
Summary: Chapter 17
Pamela goes to the general store to pick up basic supplies for the house. When she
is there, she realizes how easy it would be to steal from the place. Despite the
convenience of taking, Pamela leaves money on the counter for the clerk and waits for
Sess to pick her up. Sess arrives in Joe Bosky’s Mustang. Pamela tries to argue with Sess
as he speeds to the dog pound, but it is of no use. The couple finally arrives at the pound,
where Sess finds a new dog to start his new pack with. With everything they needed in
town, Sess drives the Mustang into the river, and takes Pamela back to the cabin.
Summary: Chapter 18
The story goes back to the hippies. They are still driving to Canada. On their way
up, they get into a fight with a couple of frat boys from Oregon. The group settles down
after the dispute. Eager to please the group, Ronnie presents the group with a big bag of
mussels. Ronnie starts to bask in the glory of his hunting ability, when he is scolded for
having picked the mussels during the time of year when they are deadly poisonous.
Summary: Chapter 19
The hippie group arrives at a grocery store. Star is conflicted with the thought of
stealing, but after seeing the other women place items in their bags, goes along with the
group. The group then leaves the store and heads out on the road again. They plan on
crossing the border of Canada soon. Marco starts to get nervous, due to his draft dodging.
He tries to remain as calm as possible, but the fear of being caught runs through his mind.
The bus approaches the border and begins to talk to the border patrol. Norm makes up a
story that the bus is a traveling band. He chooses that the group is impersonating the
Grateful Dead. The guards seem oblivious to the band and agree that the story seems to
work. They walk through the bus, barely looking at the inhabitants. Everyone on the bus
makes it across the border and moves onto Alaska. Looking back, the group can see the
car holding Dale, Franklin, Lester, and Sky Dog has been pulled over, and that all for are
being searched by the guards.
Summary: Chapter 20
The bus makes it to Alaska, and finally to the planned destination. The group gets
out of the bus after the long trip. Looking around, Marco does not find that the image in
his head is the same as the one that is in the reality. Marco swipes this idea away as the
gang bumps into a couple that the reader knows as Sess and Pamela. The gang goes into
the bar and begins to party, but is quickly put to a stop and kicked out.
Summary: Chapter 21
The perspective jumps back to Sess. When he meets Norm, he makes the
connection that Norm is the nephew of Roy. Roy was the man responsible for teaching
Sess all the tricks to the trade. He was a mentor for Sess and showed him how to live out
in the tough wilderness. Sess seems disappointed that his nephew is a hippie and not
much of a worker. The hippies sitting outside of the bus, wait for a ride up the river. Sess
offers them to camp at his cabin since they are now going to be neighbors.
Summary: Chapter 22
The hippies have begun to settle down a little bit. They are still working on the
cabins as well as some of the other necessities for the winter. They are in a hurry, as they
left toward the end of the summer. Despite this rush for making life livable during the
harsh winter, they still seem to take their time and party frequently. Ronnie and Verbie
are sent out to head to town, where they are supposed to pick up necessities as well as the
mail, and anything else that commune wanted. Ronnie takes the groups money and a list
of supplies and heads out. While out on the river, Ronnie sees a bear, which he is eager to
kill. He tries to take a shot, but is stopped by the nature loving attitude of Verbie. Instead
of killing the bear, it merely wounds it. The bear starts to head towards Ronnie and
Verbie, where they are nearly killed. They escape narrowly and head into town. When
Ronnie reaches the bar, he sees that the gang that had been stuck at the border is there. He
makes amends with them and listens to their stories at the bar.
Summary: Chapter 23
Tensions in Drop City North start to build as the rush for survival gets ever
nearer. The group is starting to get annoyed with one another. Ronnie has still not
returned to camp, making Star anxious. In order to get away from some of the irritated
people, Star heads out to go see Pamela. When she gets to the cabin, the two women sit
together and talk. The similarities between the two unfold. There is a conclusion about
how both live with nature. The realization occurs is that the difference lies in the
efficiency and the use of drugs.
Summary: Chapter 24
After a long time, the group that was sent out finally comes back. Ronnie flies in
with Joe Bosky drunk. The two have only brought the stuff that Ronnie needed. Joe also
mentions that he has gotten Lydia a job as a stripper in town. Soon, everyone begins to
wonder what happened to the stuff that they wanted. Ronnie says that it is on the boat
with Verbie. However, when the boat arrives, it is empty. The group is livid that Ronnie
spent there money. Eventually, he admits that he spent it on pot, but tries to cover up by
saying that it was for the group. One of the commune members tries to attack Ronnie, but
is stopped by Joe. Joe says that no one can harm Ronnie, and the two leave together
towards Joe’s cabin. A man from the area, named Iron Steve, comes looking for Verbie
with gifts. One of which being a chain of dead rabbits. The group snickers and the
chapter ends.
Summary: Chapter 25
Iron Steve goes to Sess’ cabin to talk to him and Pamela. He admits that he is in
love with Verbie. Iron Steve helps them out at the cabin and eventually leaves. Sess ends
up killing a bear later that night. The next day Sess leaves Pamela to go do some
trapping, but leaves her with the chore of the bear. Pamela is a little irritated to be thought
of as just a wife to do chores. While she is working on the bear hide, Pamela and Merry
show up. They brought with them a big jug of wine and a couple of joints. The three
spend the rest of the day drinking wine and smoke one of the joints. Pamela then takes
the other one after they leave, and smokes it while Sess is still gone. She experiences
being high for the first time in her life. She get really hungry and when Sess comes home,
forces him to bed.
Summary: Chapter 26
Sess and Pamela head into to town to get supplies. The environment of the bar has
become cold. All of the locals have become irritated with the hippies. Sess talks to the
hippies still living in the bus, and gives up. The couple then head to the city and have a
second honeymoon. After the weekend, Pamela and Sess head back up to the cabin.
While they are boating up stream, Joe flies overhead, and shoots at them. They have to
hop to the shore, and carry their supplies up to their cabin. They make it back safely with
everything intact.
Summary: Chapter 27
Ronnie wakes up in Joe’s cabin. He has become incredibly bored with the same
sights of Joe, Franklin, Lester, and Sky Dog. He has begun to miss Drop City and in a
desperate attempt to escape the winter boredom, walks to Drop City. It is Halloween and
when he goes there, it is a mix of emotion. Some treat him kindly while others treat him
cold. Ronnie heads to a cabin where Star and Lydia are. Everyone leaves Ronnie and
Lydia together. Ronnie feels a strong desire for Lydia, even though she warns him of her
case of crabs. Ronnie has sex with her anyway. When he is done, he takes the money that
Star had left for emergencies and leaves Drop City.
Summary: Chapter 28
Marco heads over to the Joe’s cabin to find Ronnie. He is in search of the guns.
When he arrives there, he laughs at Ronnie, seeing that he has caught the case of crabs.
Marco grabs the guns, and despite threats made by Ronnie, walks away safely. Marco
heads out later that day to go hunting. He tries to kill what he thinks is a moose, only to
find out that he killed a porcupine.
Summary: Chapter 29
Star has become anxious about where Marco has gone off to. As she worries,
Boyle shows that the people have become extremely bored. Tensions have risen in the
commune as cabin fever sets in. Cliques have started and separation has begun. Norm
enters the room, letting the group know that he has to leave Alaska for law troubles in
California. The group sees it as a desertion. Star is finally fed up and tries to leave, only
to find that the money she had saved is gone. With morale at an all time low, Marco
arrives, making Star feel better.
Summary: Chapter 30
Pamela is beginning to suffer from the winter bore. Randomly, Star shows up to
talk. The two friends talk on and on for hours. Star visited to get away from the Drop City
scene and to check in with her new friend. The two enjoy each others company. After a
long stay, that includes an overnight, Pamela confesses to Star that she is pregnant.
Summary: Chapter 31
Ronnie and Joe start the chapter off, by ripping off the Eskimos. They leave with
a fair share of money. As they fly away, Joe notices a pack of wolves, which he sees to
gain further profit. He begins to pick off the wolves one by one. Eventually, Joe sees a
figure riding through the snow that he knows is Sess. Joe begins to shoot at him. In the
end, Joe and Ronnie end up crashing the plane. Ronnie, seeing that Joe is unconscious,
tries to get drunk to relieve some pain, only to seal his fate, and die.
Summary: Chapter 32
Marco and Sess are trapping together in the wilderness. Sess has taken on Marco
as a sort of apprentice. Showing Marco the ropes, Sess and Marco are fired on from a
plane above. The plane is owned by Joe. They see the plane crash and head out to find it.
They realize that in order to fly and shoot, that there are two people involved. When they
get there, Marco sees that Ronnie is already dead. The chapter ends, leaving the reader to
believe that Sess has killed Joe.
Summary: Chapter 33
The group has joined together for Christmas. The tension at Drop City seems to
have lifted. Pamela is even there to see Star. The two women with Marco wait for Sess to
show up. They all end up falling asleep near the tree
Summary: Chapter 34
Sess is heading to the hippy commune for Christmas. He is running late, but he
has found the tuck of a mastodon, which he plans on making a gift for Pamela. As he
races home, he reflects on the death of Joe. He did not kill him, but merely watched him
die. Joe died of internal bleeding from the crash and that with his last words had said to
Sess “Fuck You!” In the end, Sess did not have to kill the man, but has been served
justice through the tough climate of the Arctic. The story ends, with Sess a couple
minutes away from Drop City.