Photo: Wendy Baker, author of My Name Was Mushroom, shares her inspiring journey from a teenage runaway to a successful entrepreneur.
A Story of Resilience and Transformation
Wendy Baker’s memoir reveals her journey from a teenage runaway in a hippie cult to a successful entrepreneur and author.
Wendy Baker, an award-winning author, has captivated audiences with her memoir, My Name Was Mushroom: My Life as a Teenage Runaway in The Source Family Commune. Her book delves into her extraordinary journey as a 14-year-old runaway who joined a hippie cult in the 70s. Wendy’s quest for love and purpose led her to The Source Family, a Los Angeles-based commune founded by Jim Baker. Her memoir unfolds with intimate details of her life within the commune and her eventual escape as a 19-year-old single mother. Now a successful entrepreneur running an insurance agency in Malibu with her husband, Bart Baker, Wendy is passionate about helping women tell their stories. She dedicates her time to volunteering at the Women’s and Children’s Shelter in Oxnard, California, and is especially committed to helping teenage mothers succeed, inspired by her own challenging experiences.
In an interview with Reader’s House, Wendy shared the inspiration behind her memoir. Initially, she wanted to leave a legacy for her children and grandchildren, but as she wrote, she found the process healing. Despite the emotional and traumatizing nature of recounting her past, Wendy was driven by the hope of helping others who had similar childhood experiences. She faced numerous challenges during the writing process, particularly in reconstructing the timeline of events. Interviewing former Source members helped, but the emotional toll of reliving those memories was significant.
Wendy Baker’s storytelling is both captivating and inspiring, offering hope and empowerment through her remarkable life experiences.
Wendy hopes readers will connect with her journey and understand her predicament. Her escape from a tumultuous family life to the seemingly stable and spiritual environment of The Source Family forced her to grow up quickly. Despite the initial love and discipline she found there, things eventually spiraled out of control, leading to her decision to leave.
Her writing process involved years of note-taking and storytelling to friends and family. After her mother’s passing, Wendy felt free to reveal her full story, enlisting the help of a co-writer to keep her on track. She wrote two to three times a week, surrounding herself with photos from her Source Family days to trigger emotions and memories.
One particularly memorable moment in her writing journey was recounting the birth of her daughter, Stardust, at the age of sixteen. Wendy’s faith in Jim Baker, known as “Father,” and her strength during the home birth without medical assistance, left her astounded in hindsight.
For aspiring authors, Wendy advises starting with notes and timelines, emphasizing the importance of consistency and perseverance. Looking ahead, Wendy and her husband Bart are working on a new project about Jim Baker, Bart’s real father. Additionally, her memoir is being adapted into a screenplay, with the possibility of a future movie.
This article is based on an interview published in Reader’s House magazine.
