I found the premise fascinating but the actual book, sadly not so much. It, in no way resonated with me and I found the entire story complete unbelievable.

California Golden took me back to the 1960s and my childhood years. It was fun experiencing the culture through Benjamen's eyes, but at times I felt like I was reading a data dump of top-ten lists from the era. This feeling was exaggerated because the plot was thin. So many paragraphs and pages were devoted to explorations within a character's head, and very little text moved the story forward. I sometimes got bored and kept checking to see how much more I had to read. The plot's main "suspense" focus was waiting for a reveal of what awful thing the mother told her oldest daughter - so horrible it led to years of estrangement. It wasn't worth the wait.

Benjamen's last book, The Children's Blizzard, was much better - there was a robust and forward-moving plot and more depth t the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

An interesting story of the ways that female competition manifests itself in families and in sports. A lovely picture of 1960s California that I couldn’t put down!

I love this time period for historical fiction, and I tend to gravitate towards books set on the coast, so I was immediately taken in by the setting. I thought the descriptions of the setting were very well done. The characters, while not the most likable, were fully fleshed out and felt true to life. I really enjoyed the exploration of the sibling relationship as well as the found family vibes. The surfing culture was super interesting as well. This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last.

This is historical fiction set around the surf scene in the 1960s. In an era when women are expected to be housewives, two sisters learn to surf in order to get the attention of their mother, who definitely does not meet the expectations of the times.

This is basically a love story of 1960s pop culture, but it also explores themes that make you realize it wasn't all great, like drug culture, cults, the treatment of women, etc.

For fun, I made a Spotify playlist as I was reading, because why not be a little extra, right?
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0RCcRxc9Do0yYSnhXWPnvJ?si=29cf702b08644134

I really like this author and I definitely recommend this if you like historical fiction, but are maybe looking for something a little different from the usual subjects.

3.75 surfing stars

This is my fourth book from Melanie Benjamin, and I find that she does deep research for her books and her writing really gives readers a sense of that time in the world.

This time we are in 1960s California and it’s a deep dive into the surfing world. Carol Donnelly is an award-winning surfer at a time when women were fighting for equal footing in the sport. Expected to be a mother, she’d rather be out surfing.

Carol’s two daughters, Ginger and Mindy, eventually take up the sport to bond with their mother, Mindy becoming a strong surfer. There are difficult family dynamics in this one and neither parent provides a good example.

As Mindy spends more time making movies about surfing and getting drawn into that life, her sister Ginger latches onto a surfer and spirals into a drug world.

We also get Carol’s take in the second part, and I found that her voice really added to the story and built out her character. I understood her character more after reading this part, but it still made it hard to read about how she parented her daughters.

This one has themes of drugs and a cult lifestyle, parenting expectations and consequences, racism toward Hawaiians, and Hollywood influences.

I enjoyed this book, it was a good story. I liked the way it was written & I felt for the Garnett girls. Recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of a family of female surfers on the West Coast based (mainly) in the 50s and 60s. It was very well written and made me really feel like I was in the era along with the main characters. It was a little strange how it was the story of the sisters, then of the mother, then of the whole family - I don't think it needed to be broken up that way. The mother's section was so much smaller than the others, it probably should have just been woven in throughout. All in all, the sister Mindy was a great main character and I really cared what happened to her. Would recommend for anyone looking for a historical novel based in a beautiful setting, about Dom Toretto's favorite subject: family.

The Donnelly sisters’ upbringing is very unconventional. Their mother, Carol, is more often to be found on a surfboard at the beach than at home in their small apartment. When other mothers are participating in the school PTA, Carol is fighting for a place as a female in a male dominated sport. Mindy and Ginger, Carol’s daughters soon learn that age ole mantra, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” and begin cutting school to join their mother surfing. The only problem is proximity doesn’t guarantee closeness. Despite the girls’ numerous attempts to bond with Carol, she remains elusive, only connecting when they are on their boards in the water.

Older sister Mindy tires of picking up her mother’s slack and drops out of school to join the Hollywood wave of beach movies, where they need a girl who can actually surf. Enamored with the sudden attention, Mindy leaves her mother and sister behind to live the high life with fancy parties and a new crowd. Ginger meanwhile never belonged on a surfboard the way her mother and sister did and finds her new community with those directly opposed to the type of life her sister is leading. In a commune that producing hallucinogenic drugs, Ginger blindly follows Tom a surfer in hopes of being wanted and needed for once.

The two sisters couldn’t lead more different lives, but fate and one impulsive decision bring them back together again. Carol’s unorthodox parenting methods remain the bond that connects the two sisters for life, regardless of the different directions they take.

With Southern California and surf culture being a main character in this novel, the reader feels immersed in the 1960s as women fought the traditional gender roles and expectations society laid out for them. The Donnelly sisters’ coming of age is fraught with misery and neglect. For those triggered, fair warning there is abuse both physical and emotional, racism, neglect and drug use.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and of course the author Melanie Benjamin for the advanced copy of the book. California Golden is out on August 8th. All opinions are my own.

Wow. This book packs a lot in and made me enjoy historical fiction, which is no easy task. It takes place mainly in the 50s and 60s in California during the time when surfing became popular. Think Gidget and Annette Funicello, but this book is about so much more than surfing.

Carol is a talented surfer who ends up having two daughters, Mindy and Ginger, despite her lack of interest in mothering. She is always leaving them to pursue her surfing dreams. Eventually Mindy follows in her footsteps as a surfer, while Ginger gets sucked into a cult with her boyfriend, Tom. Some parts of this story are so raw and sad that the reader really feels for the characters.

I really enjoyed the way this story unfolded. It is a great summer read with all the beach and sand, but it is also a beautiful story of the relationships between sisters and daughters while unearthing more about the surfing industry, sexism and racism in the 50s/60s.

This is a coming of age story about the surfing era, hippies and beach bums. Ginger and Mindy start out with a bleak life, with a father that left a wife that preferred the surfing crowd, to be a wife or mother. The girls are left on their own a lot, end up missing school and going with their Mom to the beach, to learn how to surf, Mindy develops a love of the life, while Ginger has a fear and no aptitude for the sport, and goes along because she afraid that she will be abandoned if she doesn’t.
As they get older, the girls head in different directions, Mindy living the California beach life while Ginger is attracted to the drug scene.
This was a book that really didn’t hold my interest, and I ended of skimming through it to the end.
I’ve enjoyed previous works of Melanie Benjamin, but this just didn’t work for me, probably because it’s meant for the coming of age reader.
My thanks to the author and Random House for the ARC. Any opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: August 8, 2023

Rating: 2 stars

For the past few months, I had picked this book up and put it down multiple times. This was my first book by Benjamin and I could not get into it. I'm not sure why I struggled because the synopsis is what drew me in. Overall, if you've read her other works then give this one a try!

This one had too much drama for me. I have read other books by this author. But this one just missed the mark for me. I don’t think I would suggest.

California Golden is a book I wanted to like but never connected with the entire time. Melanie Benjamin’s characters never connected with me which sucks because I love family drama and interpersonal relationships but I never cared for the sisters or their lives and experiences.

Grade: C+

Everything about the title and description of this book screams summer, so it made sense that I would pick it up for a summer read. What could be more fitting than a trip back to the 60s and California surf culture?

Melanie Benjamin is an established historical fiction writer, but this is the first of her books that I've read. There was plenty to like about this book. Benjamin brought the world of surfers, beach movies, hippies, and communes to vivid color. This era was slightly before my time, so the picture I had in my mind was the Brady Bunch special where they went to Hawaii. I don't think Benjamin changed my view much, but she made it more interesting.

Surfing has never been an activity that garnered much of my attention. However, the way Benjamin describes it, made me take notice. She describes the feel of the boards, the tension of the water, and even refers to a wave as a dragon; I found this an incredibly effective metaphor. While this didn't tempt me to try the sport, it kept me interested in the story.

I really enjoyed Mindy as a main character (and not just because we share a name). I understood her desire to be important to her mother and her feelings of responsibility regarding her sister. I rooted for her, even when she repeatedly got the short end of the stick from others.

But, as much as I enjoyed Mindy, I had problems with Ginger and an even stronger aversion to Carol. I didn't find Ginger believable. I could see how she hungered to be wanted and loved. However, the way it is expressed in this book made no sense. Many other destructive behaviors would have fit the bill and wouldn't have required some suspension of disbelief. However, what happens in the book was a disconnect between her experience and what she said she wanted.

Then we get to Carol. I get the inner conflict of wanting one life and then finding yourself a mother and a wife and that life out of reach. However, that isn't an accurate description of Carol's situation. Plainly, Carol is a sociopath. I don't say that because she resented motherhood and the sacrifice of her own wishes. I say that because she lacked any sort of empathy towards anyone else. I found her deeply disturbing, yet that wasn't the nail in the coffin for me. Unsurprisingly, Benjamin attempts to, if not redeem, at least excuse Carol's behavior. That not only fell flat, but I found myself angry at Benjamin and this book that the attempt was even made.

I can't hide the fact that I was disappointed with this book. It had the elements to be an excellent summer read, but its flaws just ruined my experience reading it. While the successes of this book keep the possibility of reading more from Benjamin open, I do not feel that I can recommend this book.

I zipped through this book in a couple days. I was interested in the characters-Mindy, Ginger, and Carol (mom) right from the start. I feel like the author was spot on describing the cultural changes going on during the sixties, From the beach movies and 50s vibes, to sex and drugs and rock n roll. I've read a few books set in this time period lately that seem like the goal is to mention every band and trend during that time, but no plot. This story does not make that mistake Centered on the sport of surfing, it tells the perspective of the surfer mom who refused to be a PTA - normal mother, much to her daughters' detriment. We see how the sisters look out for each other, when no one else does. And how their paths diverge with different life choices along the way. One of the best books I have read so far this year. Definitely recommend! Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

4.0 🌟

Ugh, California Golden is a tough read... in the best way.

A mom who would rather surf than be a mom. A sister who gets wrapped up with the wrong man. Racism, sexism, physical abuse, drugs, abandonment .... this book has it all. While some of the surfing parts felt a bit long, I enjoyed the storyline and really felt myself caring and wanting the best for Mindy at the end of the book. Without giving too much away, the ending of this book really made me like it so much more. If you are looking for a non-traditional Historical Fiction, this book is for you.

Thanks, Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

I liked the topic of this book that dealt with the relationship between sisters and their mother - definitely a relatable one for me. But I did feel this dragging quite a bit. Historical fiction isn't my favorite but I can definitely get behind them when they draw me in, this one was a little flat.
I loved the atmosphere though = the California coast and surf culture are something I've really never read about. Main characters weren't that relatable though and overall didn't feel like the happiest book... left me really sad at times. It had a lot of potential within the storyline just moved a little too slow for me!

Benjamin is one of the best historical fiction writers working today and this book is one of her finest. Although I confess to being startled by the notion that a novel set in 1960s California (I was born in California in 1960!) should be considered historical….

Thanks to Netzgley for providing an ARC for my review.

California Golden follows the lives of Mindy and Ginger-- two girls growing up on the coast in 1960s California alongside an enigmatic, free-spirited, surfer mother. I received an advanced copy prior to it's August 8th 2023 release date.
All in all, it wasn't a bad book. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters in this book, and found that most of them find like caricatures of characters more than they felt like characters with real dimension. What I found disingenuine were these random references to '60's/70's era ideas/themes. They were put in kind of randomly and always felt kind of off. Referring to things as 'bitchin' didn't feel necessary to remind us that were were in the 60s and 70s hahah. I found myself glazing over the plot pretty often. I did enjoy the vibe that it gave off, however. It wasn't my favorite, but I wouldn't say that I'd sway anyone AGAINST reading it.