At the end of the decade that changed america forever, the post-woodstock counterculture struck a chord that reverberated beyond the 1969 event. in the blink of an eye, thousands of communes sprouted up across the united states and europe. from coast to coast, the back-to-the-land movement drew willing converts attempting to live the idealized dream of peace, love and happiness. once upon a commune is the story of catherine janson, wife of a powerful boston attorney and mother of two little girls, who convinces her husband that they need a summer home in vermont. the romanticized idea of going back to the land appealed, but ultimately deconstructed their unraveling marriage into a heartbreaking custody battle. the summer home evolves into a commune, and catherine's leap into the unknown challenges her beliefs and changes her life in ways she never imagined.