Right Back Where We Started From

Emma ‘Sandra’ Sanborn has it all figured out. She’ll head to Hollywood, get discovered, and become a movie star, Who cares that there’s a depression going on? The movies are depression-proof. Besides, she has to earn back the fortune lost when her father, who had a prune empire, died in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

Right Back Where We Started From is freelance writer Joy Lanzendorfer’s first novel. This multi-generational saga follows Sandra Sanborn, her mother Mabel, and her grandmother, Vira, in their efforts to achieve the greatness each believes is her destiny..

I enjoyed this book! The cast of characters were unlikeable but in a way that made them still feel human and I was able to find myself rooting for them anyways. Sandra’s story is told with Vira’s, and later Mabel’s, stories interspersed. The story of the Sanborn women takes you through the California Gold Rush, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, the Great Depression, and WWII. Sometimes with historical fiction I feel like the era becomes a character of its own and I didn’t feel that with this novel. I knew it wan’t modern day but I found myself forgetting a couple times. I’ll be honest, the life-shattering letter felt more like an aside through much of the story, and even the climax of that plot felt underwhelming. I much preferred the other storylines in the novel. The ending felt sudden, and I was looking for more, but it was fitting.!

Coming in May 2021, I think this will be a nice, light summer read for people who enjoy historical fiction and unlikeable characters.

NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Read Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lanzendorfer in many ways tells the story of California from the Gold Rush through WWII in the voices of her characters- a family of three women. Sandra's not doing well at the moment from a career or life perspective but a letter prompts her to look back into what she thought she knew about her grandmother VIra and mother Mabel. These are not, btw, especially sympathetic or likable characters but they are determined women who want to be wealthy. That's not a bad thing but there's not a lot of give to any of them. Their stories are wound together with touchpoint in history, which I found interesting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A well written family saga,

Joy Lanzendorfer’s Right Back Where We Started From tells the separate stories of three generations of women in the same family. Although we get glimpses of their childhoods and, in some cases their late years, the novel focuses primarily on their young adulthood, their aspirations, and their relationships with men. For those who enjoy or shy away from graphic sex, you won’t find it here.

The novel opens in June 1913 with Mabel, the middle generation, talking to her nearly seven-year-old daughter Emma and hinting to readers that Emma will later go by Sandra. “Everybody wants to come to California,” Mabel begins. As they look out over the landscape, Mabel tells Emma that she and husband Arthur Beard, who was Emma’s “real father,” once thought about buying the large expanse of land across the road, back in the days when Arthur owned the “prune empire.” Little Emma already knows the family story of lost fortune, apparently having heard it repeatedly. She knows how Mabel’s parents, Vira and Elmer Sanborn, came to California during the Gold Rush. She feels the unfairness of now living with Mabel in a “house with crooked floors and bug problems, when Mabel has lost her wealth while the neighbors are have built a thriving vineyard. She knows she and her mother “were destined for better.” After all, Vira and Elmer had proven as much by following Elmer’s big prospecting dream, traveling by Conestoga wagon to strike it rich.

However, Emma can never get an answer to her question about what happened to her “real father,” not the impoverished stepfather whose surname she bears, but Arthur Beard, who died before her birth. On this occasion, rather than answering Emma, Mabel cautions her daughter not to believe anything other people say. Most will lie, she insists, either out of jealousy or meanness. As Emma thinks about asking who hurt her family, Mabel appears to reassure her, telling her that she needn’t worry because mama will always tell her daughter the truth.

Lanzendorfer has set the scene, and readers next see Sandra Sandborn (assumed name of Emma Jones Guess) in Hollywood, September 1932, attempting to break into the movies after leaving her husband Billy Guess. She is wearing a company sandwich board and sent out onto the street to distribute coupons for a glass of free “rayo sunshine” orange juice. She knows this is only temporary. She’s in Hollywood now. Stardom is just around the corner; she has her infallible three-point plan for success. Meanwhile, Sandra looks back at two mysterious letters addressed to Emma Jones c/o Billy Guess. They had arrived a month apart from a stranger named John Hollingsworth, claiming to be her biological father. Because the prune empire magnate, Arthur Beard, was her her father, she knows this mysterious letter writer must be a scam artist—someone hoping to profit in some way from her.

As the book continues and the point of view shifts repeatedly between Emma/Sandra, her mother Mabel, and her grandmother Vira, Lanzendorfer develops the three women’s equally interesting stories. Each is estranged from her parents for different reasons, convinced she is an entirely different person than her mother.

Although historical events play a role in the women’s stories—such as the California Gold Rush, the San Francisco earthquake, and World War II--I would classify Right Back Where We Started From not as an historical novel but as a character-driven novel—the story of three women determined to achieve their destiny.

I was intrigued by one of Lanzendorfer’s comments in her acknowledgements: “Thank you to my dad, Rudolf Lanzendorfer , and my uncle, Richard Lanzendorfer, for letting me borrow family stories to write this work of fiction.” As a family genealogist, I wish she had elaborated on that point. If Right Back Where We Started From has much basis in family stories, she must have an interesting family!

Thanks to NetGalley, Blackstone Press, and Joy Lanzendorfer for the advance reader copy of this recommended novel.

Ah, this book! I didn’t know whether to love the characters or hate them. But I could not put “Right Back Where We Started From” down and had to find out what happened!

I am a sucker for dramatic sagas surrounding generations of a family, and this book had it all. We meet three generations of women who come from the same family. They all face challenges and bad luck, where things don’t work out the way they hoped. So they settle down for what they can get, and realize that it is not life for them, and continue to make mistakes. There were times where I felt sorry for them, especially Vira and the way Elmer treats her. Similarly, I felt terrible for Mabel, especially during her time with Jared.

The author paces the story nicely, where you don’t know how it will turn out. Some characters disappear after the first few chapters, only to reappear in the end. Moreover, The author also brings the 1930s to life with the Golden Age of the cinema of Hollywood stars. I enjoyed the first half of the story as the author displays Sandra’s life as she tries to become the next star.

But there was a part of me that also disliked the characters so much. While I did not particularly like Frederick, I wouldn’t say I liked Sandra for how she misuses money and brings him down with her. Similarly, Mabel got on my nerves at times for the way she treated Arthur. I loved Arthur in the story and got emotional at times reading about him. The author wrote the characters so beautifully that you emotionally connect with them.

Hence, overall, I loved reading “Right Back Where We Started From” solely for the complex characters.

Book Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Cover rating : 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Genre: Historical Fiction

Are you looking for a novel that spans three generations of women, and with characters you love to hate ? Well this is the one for you. Vira, her daughter Mabel and her granddaughter Sandra are all spoiled, self centred, and focused on marrying a wealthy man and living the high society life ( granted, not much other options exist for them ). And yet in search of this perfect life they are after, they each make the men they marry miserable, and find themselves alone in the world.

To be honest, these aren’t generally my favourite type of stories, but I really enjoyed this book and the author’s writing style! Also, I liked leaning a bit about the California gold rush, and the depression .

Right Back Where We Started From by Joy Lanzendorfer is a well-written, multi-generaltional, historical fiction. It’s set in the mid-19th century through WWII in America.

I’ve been enjoying historical fiction quite a bit lately, and books like this are part of the reason why. I enjoy family sagas that span over time like this. The characters are well-developed and feel realistic, which makes the book easy to engage with and get lost in.

This is not told in a linear fashion. I really enjoyed switching between the time periods. I feel this author handled these switches with ease and I never felt lost. It kept me guessing through the secrets and how everything is connected.

I enjoyed Right Back Where We Started From and would recommend giving it a shot if you enjoy family sagas and historical fiction.

Thank you to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to be on this blog tour. I received a free copy of this book to review honestly. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

love novels like this so I couldn't resist picking this up.

We follow three women through their adventure to try and make something of themselves. We mainly follow Sandra who wants to be a Hollywood star and make something of her life. In between failed auditions, Sandra receives a letter from a man claiming to be her father which makes Sandra question everything she believes about her family and herself. At the same time, we follow her grandma's and mother's story and their own struggles to try and become successful.

I love multigenerational stories. The past really impacts the future, especially for families.

These three women are sooo similar and little do they know it. Maybe if they had open communication they could keep the past from repeating itself. Sure money and fame are wonderful....but it's a hard road and is it really worth it? And honestly, these women do NOT have good luck in love. Maybe if they had open conversations they could help each other? Crazy notion ;)

But yes - their stories are similar but oh so different. Vira just wanted a nice house and a big family surrounded by her friends, but she is forced to follow her husband to California. Mabel ran away from home and thought she married a Prune Farmer who owned an Empire, but "Empire" is a stretch. Then there is Sandra. She left her first husband so she could follow her dream and try and become a star and she finds herself married and forced to follow him too. Each is estranged from her mother and is convinced they will do better because they are not like their mother at all. Oooooo and here is where open communication is key lol!

I had major issues with each of these ladies, but I still wanted them to find happiness. They are jerks and selfish, but it is hard not to root for them. Very strange! Normally I wouldn't give a lick about characters like this...but there is something about them that you can't help but watch and hope they succeed in life. To be fair....their husbands are jerks too. They for sure lied to them. Seeeeee history repeats itself.

Honestly - I must applaud the author. I really feel like she did a wonderful job showing us that humans are complex creatures. Humans can be self-serving for sure but there is always a light of hope because everyone just wants to be happy. The author also did a fantastic job bringing all these different eras to life! The transitions and back-and-forth POV switching were seamless and easy to follow.

I am a little bummed by the ending. It was pretty open-ended. Maybe we'll get a follow-up someday because I want to know what is next for Sandra.

All-in-all, I really liked this. I enjoyed following these three women to try and make something of their lives and try to prove they are not like their mothers. The ending was a little bit of a bummer for me and I want more. One can hope! I for sure recommend this for those looking for a nice historical fiction for the summer! I'll give this 4 stars.

I was really excited for this book as it seemed to have the same vibes as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, without the success. Women trying to make it big in Hollywood during the golden age? Yes please. I loved the world-building and the descriptions of major historical events that they lived through. I am also a big fan of stories that span across multiple generations, switching back and forth in time and not moving in a linear fashion. The characters felt real and were well-developed. Overall, a great book!