Eva Pasco’s 100 WILD Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ’60s is a vibrant, affectionate time capsule of American childhood and culture, lovingly assembled through sharp wit and richly detailed recollections.

Reading this book from outside the United States — as someone who grew up in South Africa behind the Apartheid curtain — felt a bit like stepping into a colourful museum where some exhibits were instantly familiar and others required careful interpretation. Cartoon characters, music icons like The Beatles, and the general spirit of 1960s counterculture resonated clearly. Yet many of the cultural touchstones Pasco references — specific cereals, candies, brands, and everyday Americana — were foreign to me.

Rather than diminishing the experience, this unfamiliarity gave the memoir a curious charm. I found myself learning as much as remembering. Pasco writes with such vividness that even when I didn’t know exactly what a “Flexible Flyer Snow Sled” or “Bazooka Joe” was, I could still feel what they meant to her generation.

Her prose is clever, playful, and often deliciously snide. The book sparkles with Wildean turns of phrase, sharp metaphors, and nostalgic observations that bring the era to life. It is clear this is not simply a personal memoir, but a carefully researched social snapshot of a decade — a mosaic of cultural history stitched together with humour and heart.

What I appreciated most was Pasco’s ability to capture the small, ordinary details of life and elevate them into something meaningful. Even when the Cold War looms in the background, the focus remains on childhood wonder, family life, and the everyday magic that shapes who we become.

As a non-American reader, I occasionally wished for a little more context to help bridge the cultural gap. But perhaps that is part of the book’s authenticity: it speaks directly from one specific place and time, without trying to translate itself for outsiders.

Ultimately, 100 WILD Mushrooms is a nostalgic, intelligent, and entertaining collection — a love letter to the 1960s written with warmth, humour, and undeniable flair. Even if some references pass you by, the spirit of the book shines through, reminding readers everywhere that growing up, no matter where, is filled with its own wild mushrooms of memory.

Rating: ★★★★ ★  (5/5) 

Read my Goodreads review.