I received an advanced readers copy of this work from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been trying to focus my interests with the advanced copies into things I’ve definitely excited about or authors I will always read.
I will always read Melanie Benjamin’s books- I’ve been hooked since the one about Mrs. Tom Thumb, and loved the Children’s Blizzard. I’ve always found that they are well researched and presented. This one was a bit different that others she’s written in that it isn’t about a specific person in history. I craved a little more of Hawaiian history and the intersection of Californian culture leading up into the sport of surfing it was becoming.
I grew up watching reruns of Gidget and listening to the Beach boys- and that helped form the mental backdrop of the story for me, even the shift from happy surf music to the folk songs of the 60’s to Bob Dylan going electric helped that mental picture.
The heart of the story is the inter personal relationship between the mother and daughters, sisters. Then how the choices of one generation effect the life of the next and the lens they view themselves through. An athlete who makes a choice she regrets to get involved with a guy, leads to becoming a wife and mother but regretting the path not chosen. To sisters who grow up unwanted, unloved and abandoned- how do they forge those relationships that get them to adulthood? Are there some wounds that can be forgiven?
Overall, it was pretty good I didn’t love or hate it.

This is a historical novel about surf culture in Southern California and Hawaii, mostly set in the 1960's but spilling into the decades on either side. The Southern California setting, and the musical references were exactly as I experienced in my own youth, growing up in Southern California. The characters were well developed, the plot, told mostly from two perspectives, moved along a decent pace. I was so engrossed in the story that I found myself continually turning the pages, reading it straight through in one setting. I was surprised to learn how misogynistic and racist the surf culture was and was intrigued by how it informed key decisions of the main characters. Highly Recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advanced readers copy.

California Golden is the story of a mother and two daughters living in 1960's California. Sisters Mindy and Ginger have an agreement with each other. They are mostly raising themselves as their mother is a well known surfer. Her life is the beach and the only thing she has in common with her daughters is the ocean.

They grow up learning to surf, but as they get older the sisters take different paths. Mindy is drawn to the Hollywood crowd and Ginger becomes involves with drugs and cults. Can they find their way back to each other and finally understand their mother?

We get chapters from Mindy and Ginger's perspective, both in the past and present, and then later from their mother. The setting is done really well. I got a great impression of 1960's California. You can see the sand and sun.

I enjoyed Mindy more as a character but preferred the writing in Ginger's chapters. This is not a happy story despite the setting. I wish the sisters paths were a little different as I wasn't surprised by anything.

This is a gripping novel set in Malibu in the 1960's. It was a novel of surf culture, family drama and lives forged by the ocean. The Mother is a professional surfer giving her life to the sport and neglecting her two daughters. Both daughters are very different. One hates the ocean and lives in fear of it. The other embraces the surfing and the culture. As they grow away from their Mother one embraces the surf and LA lifestyle and the other falls into despair of a ruinous lifestyle. This is not a uplifting read but it is a interesting read that takes the reader through the surf culture of the 1960's in LA.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

Perfect beach read for the summer. I would recommend this book! 4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Welcome to the sun-drenched backdrop of California in the 1960's!

Carol Donnelly, a renowned surfer, struggles with motherhood as the rolling waves call to her. Her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, do everything possible to show her they are good girls worthy of her love, including surfing. One daughter excels in the sport, the other terrified of what lurks under the sea. Carol's resentment gets the better of her and soon her daughters leave her behind to purse their own lives.

Mindy rides the waves to stardom, on screen and in music. Ginger, on the other hand, falls for the wrong man and commits her life to him. These two sisters drift apart slowly, in a painful manner.

This historical fiction novel is reminiscent of the works of Taylor Jenkins Reid. California Golden was a captivating read from start to finish - family saga's give me all the emotions. This story captured the decade, the beach, and one families choices that will lead mother and daughters to a gratifying reunion.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for the complimentary copy.

Carol Donelly was a legendary female surfer in a time when men ruled the sport. She happily took to the Ocean and gave it her all. Her two young daughters, Mindy, and Ginger grew up in the shadow of their mother's surfing. Their father had left, and Mindy had to pick up the slack, looking after herself and her younger sister. To get their mother's attention, they both took up surfing and left school behind. Both are desperate for love and to belong. Mindy will excel at surfing while Ginger feels more comfortable being on the beach.

The sisters who have always been together have their relationship changed one evening. This will be the catalyst for the rest of their lives. Mindy will go on to be in beach movies, party on the sunset strip, excel at surfing and win surfing championships. Ginger, who never felt as if she belonged or mattered, grows attached to Tom and lives in a shack with him doing drugs and basically whatever he wants.

This is a coming-of-age story that takes place in sunny California and beyond. I felt for both Mindy and Ginger who grew up without parents who were involved in their lives. Mindy was a parentified child who had the responsibility of not only taking care of herself but also her sister at a young age. They were neglected by their mother, and both bore the emotional pain and trauma of their upbringing. I enjoyed how the author showed how experiences/trauma/neglect in an individual's formative years/childhood shapes thoughts, expectations, self-image, self-worth, and feelings.


This was a gripping read that had me walking down memory lane. I lived in Los Angeles for a long time and spent almost every weekend on Zuma beach. I watched the surfers and swam in those waters. It's always a treat to read about the places who have lived in and enjoyed.

The characters were all interesting and fleshed out. I had some strong feelings about Carol and the way she raised (didn't really raise) her daughters. There is a section of the book which gives readers a glimpse into her early life and that softened me to her when that section came. I also wanted to tell both Mindy and Ginger that they were worthy and deserving. I felt for both sisters but felt for Ginger most of all.

This book touched on expectations, motherhood, family relationships, sibling relationships, surfing, racism, abuse, drug usage, cults, and neglect. It also shows determination, love, hope, strength, and second chances.

Benjamin set the stage and did a great job describing the beaches, Hollywood and the USO tour in Vietnam. I found the book to be well written and thought provoking.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for California Golden by Melanie Benjamin. This book is released on August 8th so pre-order your copy today! This novel was a fun read, although it was a somewhat slow burn.

Mindy and Ginger Donnelly are sisters who take up surfing as young girls in an attempt to win the love of their mother Carol, who is a “surf bum” in 1960s SoCal and seems ready to abandon the girls at any second. Mindy devises a plan to keep their family together if they can surf with their mom and keep her happy.

Mindy is a strong surfer, while Ginger is not as talented and generally not as confident in herself. The relationship between Mindy and Ginger as they mature is tested and is a key feature of the book.

I loved the strong female character of Mindy and the overall character development as well as being immersed in the 1960s SoCal culture.

Thank you to the author, Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my opinions.

This is a fun read . It is all about surfing in California and Hawaii beginning in the 1950’s during the time of Gidget and all the fun music. Carol wanted to be in sports not a housewife and when she becomes pregnant all those dreams are dashed..or are they? This is a really good, well written story that reels you in at the very first page and keeps the reader involved all the way through. I learned a lot about surfing and the life and loved the careful development of the characters. The hard family dynamics made the story very believable and sad but life is like that sometimes. I highly recommend this one to those who love a story around the beach. This is not my first book from Melanie Benjamin. I love her style. I look forward to more from her and am a fan.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House – Ballantine, Delacorte Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advance copy. This was my first book by this popular author and I really enjoyed the beautiful California setting that was almost like a character in this novel. I also really liked the look at the mother / daughter relationship over time. But something was just missing for me here. It took a long time to be drawn into the story. Maybe I wanted it to be a little grittier or less predictable. Still an enjoyable summer read.

I couldn’t wait to read this new novel by accomplished author Melanie Benjamin (The Children’s Blizzard and The Aviator’s Wife). With a sunny California location and the struggles of society’s expectations for women during the 50s and 60s, California Golden is a propulsive novel that enlightens and entertains.

Carol Donnelly, a mother and champion surfer, is struggling to follow her passion while raising two daughters. Torn between the typical housewife role of the 1950s and her true passion for surfing, Carol becomes a reluctant mother. Sisters Mindy and Ginger quickly learn that in order to gain their Mom’s attention, they need to learn to surf on the Malibu beaches of California.
Although the sisters’ lives take very different courses, their tie to each other remains strong as they learn to weather their unconventional upbringing.

Thoroughly researched, like all of Benjamin’s novels, the reader will learn about the California and Hawaiian surfing bias as well as the prejudices surrounding the sport. Full of emotional drama between family, mother/daughter relationships and the ties that bind sisters. Readers of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising will love California Golden. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to review this title before publication.

This novel about 60's surf culture had a fantastic sense of place and felt like a fresh era to explore in historical fiction that I haven't seen before. I enjoyed the exploration of the expectations of motherhood and the relationship between the sisters - but did find it all a bit heartbreaking and heavy. At times I found passages to be a little bit lengthy or overwritten, but all in all I really enjoyed this and would recommend it as a summer beach read as long as you're prepared for some heaviness!

Readers who love family drama will be drawn to Melanie Benjamin's latest book about the complex ties between mothers, daughters, and sisters.

Set in the surfing world of California in the early 1960's and in the current day, Benjamin again creates characters fully human, fully flawed and so rich and realistic that they walk off the page. As a girl, Carol Donnelly is an outstanding athlete in multiple sports. She refuses to be constrained by the prevailing mores and expectations regarding women at the time, always choosing her personal want for freedom over her responsibility as a parent.

Mindy, her first-born, and Ginger, the youngest, learn early on how to fend for themselves and how to keep the social agencies away even as they continually strive to gain the affection and attention of their beautiful but different and distant mother. A dysfunctional childhood lives forever in unexpected ways.

The complicated bonds between these three women will be tested and tried time and again as each wrestles with her sense of responsibility towards the other two, while striving to remain true to her own wants and desires.

This is a very interesting and satisfying read!

My thanks to Delacorte Press for allowing me to read a DRC of this novel via NetGalley. The book is scheduled to be published on 8/8/23. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Set to the back drop of 1950s and 60s surfer culture, Mindy and Ginger grow up in the shadow of their surfer mother who obviously wants to do anything other than be a mother. Mindy grows up to be in the spotlight, like Gidget, while Ginger follows the man she loves from wave to wave. A novel about the history of women not succumbing to the parameters that society placed on them.

I have always loved Gidget so I really enjoyed reading about Southern California at this time. It was a new historical period for me. I also thought it was cool to see it from the perspective of women surfers. Some of the dialog was a little stiff to me and I don't know if that was just the way they talked back then or not. However, this book was really propulsive for me, I wanted to know what happened to Ginger and Mindy and why their mother was the way she was.

California sisters Mindy and Ginger have been chasing the waves with their surfboards since they were small kids. Desperate for their mother’s affections, they felt they could be close to her if they loved surfing as much as she did. Set in the 50s/60s, early surf culture is explored as well as family bonds and the ties to the sea.

I really enjoyed this story! I love family centered novels, and I quickly fell in love with Mindy and Ginger. My heart broke for them as they tried to get their mother’s attention and love, and how the girls felt they would always be left. I loved the time period and the setting of the book, and I enjoyed learning about surf culture and racism/sexism in the sport during this time period.

The book jumps around a bit, in years and POV, which confused me a little, especially when I was listening. The audio was done really well, but I mostly ended up reading it since I was getting confused over the timeline. I recommend this one for a good beach read!

The Donnelly girls are famous in the California surfing world. But what lies behind their glamorous story is the ugly truth, a mother who wants more, a daughter who has more, and another daughter who wants to be loved. As the story unfolds of their lives amidst the California sun and endless days at the beach, so do their secrets and betrayals of one another.

This was a very sad book. It took until the very end for me to feel that there was room for some happiness. This is why I’m giving it three stars instead of four. I love reading serious, historical fiction, but this really dragged for me. It is a well written story about mothers and mothering or the lack of mothering. It’s also a wonderful story of sister love. I grew up in the 1950s and 60s so the story of California surfing , the Vietnam War, and the rise of hippies, drug culture and protests was a familiar one that I enjoyed. I’m sure this will be a book enjoyed by many; it was just not for me.

The lineup of themes won me over…

60s
California
Surf culture
Sisterhood/motherhood

I’m an 80s baby but the way Melanie paints the picture of these moments in hIstory on the edge of the California coastline to Vietnam I felt transported. A time when women voices and skills weren’t recognized or heard. The Donnelly Girls portray, hardship, perseverance, and moments of following their passion. It weaves in what chosen family can look like when your own doesn’t chose you. I loved reading about these ladies and I will definitely be checking out more of this authors titles!

California Golden centers on two sisters, Mindy and Ginger. Their mother, Carol, is a famous female surfer in the 60's, a role she relishes to the detriment of motherhood. Mindy follows in her mother's footsteps, while Ginger falls in with a less than desirable crowd. The descriptions of Makaha and Waimea are very realistic. Benjamin weaves the timeline back and forth, symbolic of the ups and downs of Mindy and Ginger's life, or maybe more appropriately, waiting for the right wave.

I chose to read this because I love the sixties era and its association with California, The Beach Boys- but not so much surfing. The descriptions of surfing throughout the book did not resonate with me and while I entertained them fully at first- began to skim these passages a bit deeper into the book. At its crux, this story is about a young woman in the fifties who had dreams to devote her life to athletic pursuits such as being part of an all-female baseball team, but ultimately as a competitive surfer. Those plans were upended with her unplanned pregnancies and marriage. Her failure to focus on her marriage and children while prioritizing her nirvana-like obsession with surfing caused major conflict in these relationships. Her two daughters Mindy and Ginger had different personalities and coping mechanisms to deal with the fear and abandonment concerns brought by their very distracted mother which is fleshed out in the bulk of the book.

I found the damaged family construct portions of the book compelling. There is always one person who rises to the occasion and becomes the "adult in the room", and I admired this character. I enjoyed this author's other historical fiction novel "The Children's Blizzard" more, but this was a decent read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.