California Golden by Melanie Benjamin is set in what seems to be a perfect time in history. California the 1960’s, surf, sand, nights at cool bars, Malibu at its best. Carol Donnelly is living her best life. She is a legendary surfer trying to compete with men who dominate the sport. She’s got the talent and she got eh drive she just had to learn how to balance it all. That and she has two daughters she is trying to raise. Mindy and Ginger Donnelly find it hard to live in their mother’s shadow. She is a force larger than life and she comes in and out of their lives, often. They try to get by on their own but they can only do so much. As the years go by, they drift a part into two different sub cultures. Mindy hits the beach, the circuit and the surfer culture. It seemed like an easy path but it’s the path she knows. Meanwhile Ginger, desperate for a feeling of family, community and safety falls into the wrong crowd. She feels lost and she can’t seem to help herself. Both girls are just so weighted down by the childhood trauma and their grief over their mother, they drift back into each other’s lives. This was a very good story. It had a little bit of everything, but what I enjoyed most was the author’s ability to tell such a honest story of two broken sisters. Grief knows no bounds and this story touches on so many forms of it. This was a well written story and the characters were so real. I want to thank Netgalley, the author & Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. It kept me thinking about life, sisterhood and the 60s like I have never thought of before. This was a four star read for me.

I got this ARC from NetGalley a while back and for some reason never opened it. I ended up listening to the audio and Christine Lakin's narration is excellent. I have really enjoyed some of Melanie Benjamin's books in the past, and this one was no exception. A gripping page-turner it is not, and it had a lot going on - drugs, cults, Vietnam, etc. - but I enjoyed the story. I read this at a time when my own sister is struggling (again) and some people just can't be saved, sad as that may be. I wish there had been more resolution at the end.

Thank You to NetGalley for the free arc.

Melanie Benjamin is one of my favorite historical fiction writers and I absolutely loved this book. The cover is perfect for this book and women surfers is a unique topic. I couldn't put the book down. I like the fact the author explains how and why she came to write the book and offers a bibliography of resources. She brings to life a book and a real woman surfer. Set in Southern California and in Hawaii it covers the years 1940-1980s. It features a mother, Carol Donnelly, and her daughters, Ginger and Mindy. During this time women were expected to be mothers and housewives, Carol doesn't fit the mold. She goes against the grain and becomes a famous woman surfer and enjoys the nightlife. Carol battles stereotypes and the male dominated sport as she becomes a star. Her children, Mindy and Ginger, are left to raise themselves in an unconventional home. They too spend their time surfing and eventually go on their own journeys. Mindy becomes famous as a surfer and Ginger finds a community in drugs and cults. However, they are tied together for life.

If you're looking for a book that gives you that 1960s feel, I have other suggestions. This one didn't do it for me.

Beautiful cover!!
Love mother/daughter theme!
Was a bit slow and didn’t just pull me in. Hard time staying engaged. Could just been my mindset at the time as i can’t say anything wrong with the story. Love stories from this era in general.

Surfin USA 60’s tribute with so much heart. As one of two sisters and the daughter of one two sisters who grew up in Cali and Hawaii just slightly behind this time, the characters in California Golden resonated with me so much! The story was beautiful but repeatedly heartbreaking and some of the decisions were so hard to read that it made me pull back from the story a bit. This has stuck with me for the months since I finished it. I’d recommend easily especially to Kristin Hannah fans as it gave me some similar vibes.

Set in the 1960s in California, this book explores the lives of two sisters, Mindy and Ginger, and their relationship growing up, one swept into the celebrity lifestyle, and the other swept into drugs and cults. I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book, but ultimately it struggled to hold my attention and I decided to DNF around 30%. Perhaps this is a book I will return to one day to try again, but it may just not be the book for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for my gifted copy!

3.5 stars

I liked "California Golden" quite a bit, but still, it didn't wow me. Everything about the book is fine -- the writing, the story, the characters. I just wanted a bit more from it, namely depth. Those who enjoyed "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid will find this story appealing, I think, as it feels reminiscent of it. Perhaps that's the problem, too, that the book has too similar of vibes to TJR's novel. It reads like it wants to be another "Malibu Rising."

My sincerest appreciation to Melanie Benjamin, Dell, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All thoughts and opinions included herein are my own.

For fans of Daisy Jones and Malibu Rising, I highly recommend picking up California Golden by Melanie Benjamin. Dripping with atmospheric prose and the ebbs and flows of sisterhood, this story will grab ahold of your heart until the very end.

This is something that I have never learned anything about before now. I don't know a ton about sports, or the history of sports, especially surfing. I have lived in Buffalo New York my whole life and have never seen anyone surf, and may never have the opportunity to see anyone do it. I am not surprised by the fact that women were treated like garbage when they began to become involved in surfing. They were always treated like they belonged only in the kitchen taking care of their families, and that anything else was for men. Men and other women could be both verbally and physically abusive to them, but there were many pioneers, and one of them was a mother with her two daughters who also joined her and surfed also. These were the three ladies that gave the author the idea to have the book follow three women; a mother and her two daughters.
The book follows two young women, Mindy and Ginger, and their mother, Carol. Throughout their young lives the two girls always felt that any moment Carol would run off and live with her surf bum friends on the beach at the ocean. The honest truth was that she probably would if she could, and that truly effected her daughters their whole lives. This is the story of how they navigated life, and also why Carol was who she was.

This book took me back to the 70’s when I was a kid. The Donnelly girls loved surfing, from Malibu to Makaha Hawaii to Vietnam and back. I loved hearing about Gidget and the Whiskey-A-GoGo. It was a book about family and relationships. Carol is the mom of two beautiful daughters, Mindy and Ginger. To get their mom to pay attention to the them they both learn to surf, one is very good and the second kind of rides on her coat tails.. This was a summertime feel good book! Don’t get me wrong it does have some drama, you will laugh a little and you will cry a little. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an ARC of this awesome book!!

I loved this one so much! I'm a sucker for mother/daughter stories, even if they are fraught with problems, and this book gave me everything I wanted. Plus it takes place in the surfing culture of California and includes a cult, so I was all in. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to be elated, frustrated, moved and entertained all within the course of one novel.

I enjoyed the sister dynamic and the time-line. However, I didn't like either sister or any other character in the book. The author did create a unique storyline and location for the time period (California 1960s).

I would recommend this book if you're looking for a summery slow burn. Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

California Golden takes place in the 60’s in California. It is the story of two sisters who grew up with a mother who cared more about surfing than she cared about her daughters. The girls entered the surfing world as teenagers but eventually their paths went in totally different directions. One became involved with the hippie drug culture, while the other continued to surf and had brief stint in the world of Hollywood glamour. Later in the book, we learn the mother’s story and it gives us background as to why she was an inattentive mother.

It took me a while to get into this novel. However, I kept reading and in the last third of the book, I was invested enough to want to know how the book ended. I didn’t connect with the characters. It was a sad and depressing tale. I have loved Melanie Benjamin’s other novels, however, I can’t say the same about this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin is set against the vibrant backdrop of 1960s California, where the surf culture is thriving, and societal norms are being challenged. The story centers on Carol Donnelly, a trailblazing female surfer who is both captivating and flawed. Carol's passion for the waves and the free-spirited lifestyle that comes with it often puts her at odds with her responsibilities as a mother.

Her two daughters, Mindy and Ginger, grow up in the shadow of their mother’s fame and struggle to find their own identities amidst the chaos. Mindy, the elder, yearns for stability and a sense of belonging, while Ginger embraces the rebellious spirit of the times, seeking adventure and freedom. The sisters' relationship is strained as they navigate the complexities of their upbringing, marked by Carol's frequent absences and erratic behavior.

Over the years, I’ve grappled with Melanie Benjamin’s writing style. In this case, I appreciate that this novel was based, in part, on real-life female surfers who faced sexism in the mid-20th century. Much of the story is very sad. There are some very interesting historical tidbits about Vietnam. I didn’t know guys would drop acid before they went to the draft board physical so they would look insane.

The family story is moving, but the author tackles too many issues. She does a phenomenal job with her depiction of the surf scene and the period details, but the book was just okay for me. 3 stars.

** Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

What a great summer read! I loved reading about surfing culture, and life in the 50s and 60s. I enjoyed the characters and plot.

The loss of innocence and a coming of age story of 2 sisters in CA, 1960's. Free spirited living results in a very hard reality. Love, loss, family, jealousy, drugs, pregnancy, and deceit all play a significant role in this novel.
I enjoyed the way #californiagolden was written. I was immediately drawn in by its characters and fell for the mood, time, and place of the setting. It was an emotional ride and not that of a smooth road to follow. Judgement, empathy, loyalty are all brought to light and remind us that endings are not always happy and life is far from easy.
I remember walking away with the feeling that in the end, all you truly have, is yourself.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review #californiagolden by Melanie Benjamin

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

I wasn't sure what to expect about this book from the description but I was pleasantly surprised. A novel about the beginnings of surfing in California and the role and hardships that women surfers faced in this new sport and activity. The story takes place over several decades and shows the lives of two sisters and their mother and were the beach and surfing takes them. This was very informative and much more deeper story than I expected it to be.

I have always been drawn to the 60's era, not to mention California and The Beach Boys. I immediately requested this after I read the blurb of what it was going to be about. I wanted to be immersed or transported back to that era. I did get that feeling when I was reading it, but the surfing aspect was one that I didn't connect with. I also didn't connect with the mother, who had athletic pursuits most of her life. I enjoyed Vietnam being in the story as well. I enjoyed this, but didn't connect to it as much as I had hoped. 3.5 stars.

Edited to add: I had the honor of speaking with Melanie Benjamin about "California Golden" for the Storytime in Paris podcast. Listen to the full interview here: https://bit.ly/3Pge0Fm

"California Golden" is a beautifully-written, deeply atmospheric piece of historical fiction, set in California in the 1960s. Do you know the feeling of standing on a sandy shore, a warm breeze in the air, with a vibrant sunset filling your view? That's the feeling this book embodies.

What do you do when you love some thing more than any one person? And what if that thing is something you, as a woman, are not expected to love? And how are your daughters meant to react?

"California Golden" tells the story of family, loss, passion, and a woman's "place" from multiple perspectives. It's filled with pain and beauty and I absolutely loved it.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.