352 pages Dell publisher Aug 8, 2023 publish date

About The Book

Two sisters navigate the thrilling, euphoric early days of California surf culture in this dazzling saga of ambition, sacrifice, and the tangled ties between mothers and daughters from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife.

Southern California, 1960s: endless sunny days surfing in Malibu, followed by glittering neon nights at Whisky a Go Go. In an era when women are expected to be housewives, Carol Donnelly breaks the mold as a legendary female surfer struggling to compete in a male-dominated sport—and her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, bear the weight of Carol’s unconventional lifestyle.

The Donnelly sisters grow up enduring their mother’s absence—physically, when she’s at the beach, and emotionally, the rare times she’s at home. To escape questions about Carol’s whereabouts—and to chase her elusive affection—they cut school to spend their days in the surf. From her first time on a board, Mindy is a natural, but Ginger, two years younger, feels out of place in the water.

As they grow up and their lives diverge, Mindy and Ginger’s relationship ebbs and flows. Mindy finds herself swept up in celebrity, complete with beachside love affairs, parties at the Playboy Club, and a USO tour in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ginger, desperate for a community of her own, is tugged into the dangerous counterculture of drugs and cults. But through it all, their sense of duty to each other survives, as the girls are forever connected by the emotional damage they carry from their unorthodox childhood.

A gripping, emotional story set at a time when mothers were expected to be Donna Reed, not Gidget, California Golden is an unforgettable novel about three women living in a society that was shifting as tempestuously as the breaking waves.

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My Thoughts

When I downloaded this book at the recommendation of the publisher, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it. It’s historical yes, which I read a lot of, but it takes place later than most of the historicals I read, in the 1960’s. I don’t read many books taking place in the 60’s, it’s before I was born and also from what I’ve read a very tumultuous time.

I could tell you this takes place in California and is one of those surfing novels and that’s true but it’s so much more than that.
It’s about sisters, pretty young when this starts, and it follows their path as they grow and mature.

It’s also about the sister’s relationship, one is a giver and carer and the other is a receiver and the one taken care of by multiple people throughout her life.
We also see the girl’s relationship with their mother, these girls practically raise themselves while their mother surfs. Not your typical PTA mom.

The girls don’t want to be like their mother who ignores everything in life but surfing but to some degree they both are. One even surfs competitively for a time. It’s the 60’s vibe tumultuous times, surfing and waxing your board, family relationships broken by lies and neglect and unconventional women.

Very emotional as we see the girls finding themselves in life and their evolving relationship with each other and their mother.
Well worth the read and recommended!

Pub Date 08 Aug 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Melanie Benjamin was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. An avid reader all her life–as a child, she was the proud winner, several years running, of the summer reading program at her local library–she still firmly believes that a lifetime of reading is the best education a writer can have.

While attending Indiana University–Purdue University at Indianapolis, Melanie performed in many community theater productions before meeting her husband, moving to the Chicago area and raising two sons. Writing was always beckoning, however, and soon she began writing for local magazines and newspapers before venturing into her first love, fiction.

By combining her passion for history and biography, she has found her niche writing historical fiction, concentrating on the “stories behind the stories.” Her most recent novel, THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE, tells the fascinating and timely story of the first true female partnership – and enduring friendship – in Hollywood, between the silent film star Mary Pickford and her collaborator (and first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Screenplay), Frances Marion.

Her previous novels, THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE, and THE AVIATOR’S WIFE, were New York Times, USA Today and IndieBound best sellers. Her first novel, ALICE I HAVE BEEN, was a national bestseller; this was followed by the critically acclaimed THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MRS. TOM THUMB. Her next novel will be out in May, 2019.

She and her family still live in the Chicago area; when she’s not writing, she’s gardening, taking long walks, rooting for the Cubs–

And reading, of course.

Have a terrific Tuesday and thanks for stopping by.