3.5 stars — I live in Hawaii so I was instantly drawn to a book about surfing that’s partly set here. I didn’t get quite as much ‘60s atmosphere as I was hoping for though, and struggled to connect with the Mindy and Ginger for most of the book. Even so, I did feel that Benjamin brought everything together for a solid ending.

It's hard to think of the 60's as history since they seem like yesterday, The author does a great job of capturing the feeling of the 60's and all the changes that took place. She paints a picture of what I imagine the surfing culture was like and does a great job making the characters believable. `

I enjoyed the book. It would make a perfect beach read.

I chose this book from NetGalley because I had read another book by Benjamin, and have at least one other on my to-read pile. I thought this would be a fun summer read, but it was a little heavier than the beautiful cover had me expecting. And yes, here's where not reading the summary matters.

The surfing Donnelly girls are a thoroughly messed up bunch—but for me, there was really no likable character among them. This is not to say the story was not interesting and compelling, but it does make me sad when I can't empathize with someone in a story. Stories about mothers abandoning their children are always difficult and complicated for me. I get that Carol Donnelly felt trapped in the loveless marriage forced upon her by pregnancy—but I'm still not sure why she compounded that mistake by having a second child. In all areas but this, we are to believe she is a fierce and powerful woman; but when it comes to pregnancy (and preventing it), she's a helpless victim of her times. I wish she could have explained a little of her history to her daughters before they literally made the same mistakes, but maybe that's just me. Carol Donnelly is far from the worst person in this story, though, which has the odd effect of making the nicest people seem shady. I felt a little jaded by the end, cautious of everyone. And, while I don't always love a predictable, tidily wrapped up ending, this time, I appreciated it.

This review will be posted on August 28, 2023 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

🏄🏼‍♀️ What I liked: The descriptions of the ocean, waves, and the act of surfing were lovely. I've found that describing action-based activities, like surfing, are either weak or overly technical. I though Benjamin strung some lovely prose around her descriptions to conjure up some beautiful imagery.

🏄🏼‍♀️ What didn't work for me: The ending. I so wish we had a portion of it from Ginger's perspective so the unanswered questions were answered. Given how the entire novel alternated between Mindy and Ginger's perspectives, I really wish the ending did too.

#CaliforniaGolden Rating: 😐 / meh, it was ok
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This book is scheduled for publication on August 8, 2023. Thank you @delacortepress for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story covers the lives of 2 sisters and their famous surfer mother.

As Mindy and Ginger's story evolves, their relationship has highs and lows, especially with their mother. Mindy becomes famous, and Ginger gets caught up in an unhealthy relationship, and they need to figure out how to navigate and survive.

This was a great/quick read and would recommend!

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin is a snapshot of a dysfunctional family during the height of the southern California Surfing craze during the 1960’s There is a mom and her two daughters. The family is extremely dysfunctional. Their mother would rather be surfing than taking care of or nurturing her young girls. The mom is a surfing wonderkin which was unusual during that time since the sport was predominated by men. The oldest daughter Mindy is smart enough to realize that the only way to be in proximity of their mother is to learn surfing. Mindy is a natural. Ginger is not.

The book is divided into three sections. The first portion covers the struggles of Mindy and Ginger dealing with an ever absent mother. It begins in their preteens and moves forward to their twenties. The point of view changes through this portion between Mindy and Ginger The second portion is all about the girls mother, Carol. The third section moves forward to the 1970’s.

Truth be told, Ms. Benjamin did a great job of creating very weird protagonists who are totally unlikable. You felt sorry for them, but you don’t like them. Carol should have never been a mother and Mindy and Ginger are the unfortunate result of a mother who resented them because they were born. Having had to nurture themselves the scars that they carry are thick and evident.

The settings were beautifully done. You can feel being present during this time, you can smell the ocean, feel the sun, hear the waves and feel the sand between your toes. The setting also encompasses the various prejudices of the time. Ms. Benjamin does a good job describing the surfing scenes, Vietnam, the possible cults that were present which were sucking people in.

I felt the plot was predictable. The book left me feeling flat. We are told at the end that Ms. Benjamin took her inspiration from a real life mother/daughter surfing trio. That was as far as it went. Ms. Benjamin uses creative license to weave this story.

I would like to thank Ms. Benjamin, Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Carol was strong and athletic during WWII, but her athletic career was brought short by an unexpected pregnancy. After her daughter Mindy, and 2 years later, Ginger, were born Carol discovered surfing. She excelled at the sport, but had no interest in motherhood or in being a wife. Eventually, her husband Bob had enough of her physical and emotional abandonment and he left her and the children. The only thing that brought the three together was surfing. The girls clung to surfing as a way to keep Carol from leaving them. The three beautiful, blond surfers attracted a lot of attention in the 1960s. Mindy’s championship-worthy skills led her to a career in movies. Ginger tried hard, but her life took a different direction.

This book is about motherhood, ambition, gender stereotypes, racial and gender discrimination, family bonds and forgiveness. The characters were believable and I liked the period details. I thought that the book veered into soap opera territory in the second half, but I still enjoyed the book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I was not able to get into the story so I DNF. I again appreciate the opportunity.

California Golden takes us back to the 1960s and shares the mother/daughter dynamic of three women trying to make it in the surfing world and if this can happen together or if they must go their own ways.

3.5 stars

I grew up watching and loving the movie Gidget and California Golden took me right back to the 50s and 60s nostalgia for all things California, Hollywood and surf culture!

I also loved how Benjamin took on the hard topics of the war in Vietnam, drug culture, sexism and racism during a time fraught with civil conflict.

This is truly an impactful story and obviously perfect for the beach!

Thank you, Random House, and NetGalley, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

This well written novels takes the readers back to the 1960s and the surf culture in California. Many of us remember the surfing songs by the Beach Boys that were popular in the 1960s but didn't have any real understanding of the nomadic life that many of the people involved in surfing and competitions really lived. This book is an inside look at that culture.

Carol Donelly was a well known female surfer in a time that surfing was a men's sport. She proved her abilities over and over and gained the respect of the male surfers. She got married and had two daughters - Mindy and Ginger. After her divorce, she was an absentee mother and spent many of her days at the beach, often forgetting to pick up her daughters or buy food. The two girls decided that they could make their mother pay attention to them by getting involved in surfing. It was a good plan for Mindy because she had the talent for it but Ginger was afraid of the water and had no love for surfing. The two sisters were very close growing up but when Mindy starts to win competitions, their closeness diminishes. Mindy become involved in movies and life among the rich and famous while Ginger becomes involved in the counter culture of cults and drugs and falls in love with an abusive man. As the sisters grow further apart, they both still deal with their negative feelings of self worth due to their childhoods.

Melanie did a terrific job with the setting of this novel. You could almost hear the waves and smell the salt air. She also got into a lot of things that were going on at that time - drugs, Vietnam, racism and sexism. I found it very disappointing because I didn't like any of the three main characters. Carol, the mother, should have never had children, Mindy found it too easy to leave her family behind and Ginger was a weak person who got involved with the wrong man. Even though I didn't like the characters, I felt some sympathy and understand them more by the end of the book.

The author's research is what made this book good. She taught her readers all about the surfing culture of the 60s as well as the prejudice against women and the effect that the war had on the young people. It wasn't my favorite book by this author but I am definitely happy that I read it.

This is my first time reading Melanie Benjamin. A historical story based on the early days of surfing in California. It features the stories of Carol and her daughters Ginger and Mindy who break are female surfers in the ‘60s. It captures the surfing community and its ups and downs during that time period. But it also captures the mother/daughter relationship and how difficult it can be. It was a pretty depressing story to me that is why I didn’t really like it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This historical fiction story describes life in the 1960's when surfing became popular and so did the movies depicting it. But the real story being told here is that of family - - the relationships formed between mothers and their children and those daughters and each other. The relationship Mindy and Ginger Donnelly had (or rather didn't have) with their mother haunts them for years. Mindy follows job opportunities that she doesn't even want to try to secure money so she never has to worry about being able to pay for things. Meanwhile, Ginger lets responsibility completely go and follows one man while buying into his stories about life and love.

There is a great deal of avoidable heartbreak in this book if only the sisters would have been better communicators - - with each other and with their significant others. But instead, Mindy believed she could push though any crisis and fix things all on her own. She was afraid to depend on anyone. After all, their father left them with a mother who was barely present. Meanwhile, Ginger struggled to find the one thing she could feel that she was good at. When she believes that the man she loves "needs" her, she makes it her job to keep him happy and fulfilled.

A beautifully woven tale of life with the California surfing lifestyle as a backdrop. It really strikes a sentimental chord with me. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin. Pub Date: August 8, 2023. Rating: 3 stars. Set in California during a time of carefree thoughts, beaches and surfing competitions, this is the story of a mother and two daughters who are trying hard to navigate what it means to be a family, independent and grow up in an ever changing world. This is a slower paced novel, but packed with descriptions of the time period that will leave the reader wishing they could be present. I really enjoyed the coming of age aspect, family dynamics and how even if your family members are lost at times they can always come back home. I really enjoyed this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #californiagolden

California Golden focuses on a topic and time period (women surfers and the late 1950’s and the 1960’s) that I know little about, therefore, I accepted the widget from the publisher.

I enjoyed the exploration of mother/daughter relationships and how things do come full circle in the end; no matter what has happened or was said.

Benjamin clearly researched the era, surf culture and history of Hawaii, yet I found it easy to put down and it didn’t always hold my interest. Although there were parts that I enjoyed, this was 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨for me.

I found California Golden was an interesting story. Growing up partially in the 60's, I was attracted to this story. I didn't think the characters were very deep, I didn't have any sympathy for them but I did enjoy reliving what it was like in the 60's.

California Golden is about a family of surfers set in the 60’s. Mindy and Ginger grew up knowing their mom was different. She would spend everyday surfing, forgetting to pick the girls up from school, change their clothes or have enough food in the house.

Their dad walked out and the girls know their mom might leave them next. Mindy and Ginger start surfing as attempt to bond with their mother and to keep their family together. Mindy never expected to fall in love with surfing too. Soon she’s skipping school to catch waves and spends all day at the beach just like her mom. Ginger has a fear of the ocean and she struggles as her mom and sister leave her behind.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a 5/5 for me. It was interesting to read about the surf culture during this time period and the characters were well written. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review and it was published this month!

#bookstagram #bookreview #readersofinstagram #stlbookstagram #californiagolden #netgalley #melaniebenjamin

So there's this vibe of an A24 movie with beautiful and raw stories of 3 women: mothers, daughters and sisters, that have to find themselves in a moment in time where women have no voice or decisions of their own.

Let's say this book gives us 3 perspectives, completely different and opposite to eachother and for some reason all three of them have valid points (yes, even ginger's).
We have the mother that didn't wanna be a mother but society told her otherwise.
The daughter that didn't wanna become her mother and was tired of taking care of everything, and decided to choose herself.
The daughter that felt belittled by her sister and not loved enough by her mother that decided to find some kind of love that will replace those relationships, and yes she loved very deeply in a very weird and obsessive way, but loved nonetheless.

This was a really interesting and raw reflection of family relationships and personal growth.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From a young age, Mindy and her sister Ginger realize that to get their mom's attention, they must become surfers like her. Mindy also becomes famous for being a female surfer, as Ginger takes a more hippie path. Set in the 60's in Laguna Beach, CA, Mindy and Ginger must navigate sexist, racism, bad men, and unloving parents.

I liked that this book took on a different topic and time period and I liked the beach setting. I felt bad for both of the sister's struggles, but I could never truly embrace them. The writing style for this book was good narratively, but I wish it had gone a little deeper on the characters. I really liked the mother's backstory towards the end of the book that helped her motivations click into place.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

Review will be posted on 8/23/23

Carol Donnelly is an athlete in a world where people want her to be content with getting married, having kids, and raising her family. It's the very opposite of what she wants and when she does find herself married with children it doesn't go well. She doesn't take to it and often leaves her kids at school, wearing two-day-old clothes, and forgets all responsibility by going to the beach. Carol's real love is the ocean and she is good at many sports, but she stands out in surfing. Her eldest daughter, Mindy, as she grows up shows great promise with surfing, too, whereas Ginger, the youngest daughter, isn't a natural and everything is a bit harder for her. As the years go by, the girls suffer from fear of abandonment as their mother is never really there for them and things only get worse when Mindy outshines her mother at a surf content. Eventually, Mindy ends up in the beach movies of the 60s and becomes a minor celebrity, and Ginger takes a much darker path. The Donnelly girls go their separate ways, but as the years go by, they find they need each other, especially when things get tough. Melanie Benjamin brings to life the surf culture of the 60s very well in California Golden. Fans of Gidget will thoroughly enjoy this tale that also has some similarities to Daisy Jones and the Six as well as Malibu Rising.


Gidget makes surf culture seem pretty tame, but we know the 60s weren't like that. Benjamin portrays the dark side of the counterculture with drugs as well as domestic violence, the war in Vietnam, and more. It follows the stories of the Donnelly women and how each deal with their own issues as society pressures them to be something they aren't. Mindy and Carol especially faced a lot of sexism when dealing with athletic women or women in sports as that wasn't the norm for the time. Benjamin covers a lot in California Golden, but I think it works and makes the women's story worth it as it is based on many real-life female surfers. If you like the 60s time period, (both the good and bad) then California Golden is a good fit for you.