3.5 ⭐️ Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me a digital ARC of this book.

California Golden tells the story of a mother and her two daughters during the 60s surfing scene in Southern California. Carol Donnelly is dedicated to her passion for surfing; the last thing she ever wanted to be was a mother. In an era where women were seen only as housewives, Carol does not fit the mold of a “traditional” woman. This leads Carol to prioritize her surfing lifestyle over taking care of her two daughters, Mindy and Ginger, who are forced to grow up without an involved parental figure. Growing up surrounded by the ocean, Mindy and Ginger also find themselves spending their days in the surf. Throughout the book, we see how the two sisters drift off into their own life paths.

I really wanted to love this story. Based on the premise and time period it was set in, this book was right up my alley. While I do believe this book does a great job of portraying issues of racism, cultural appropriation, and sexism that were very apparent at the time, I found the characters and storytelling to fall flat. I found the characters, besides Mindy, to be so unlikeable. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, and I expected them to have some sort of character development as the story progressed, but they somehow infuriated me more and more. That being said, I do think the author does a nice job of helping you to understand why these characters act the way they do. It actually opened up a lot of questions for me. Do I blame Carol for being a lousy mother or is it because of the societal expectations at the time that forced women to be mothers even when they didn’t want to be? Do I blame Ginger for her questionable and frustrating decisions or is it because of the lack of love she received from her parents? This could be the author’s purpose, to create painfully flawed characters. However, by the end, I still felt disconnected from them. Mindy was the only character in this book that I truly understood. She deserves the world.

My other issue with the book is that the timeline felt disjointed. The story is broken into three parts. I don’t understand why the story keeps jumping from different years. Instead of the usual past and present timeline, this book will take place one year, maybe go back a few years, jump a few years ahead, and overall it felt jumbled. This can be very confusing for the reader. I got the gist of the book, but I feel like this problem could have been avoided if the book was told in either chronological order or a more organized past/present timeline.

I would still recommend this book if the synopsis entices you. You can expect a wild ride of family drama, flawed and complex characters, and the background of Southern California in the 60s during the height of surfing. This book does not shy away from some of the prominent issues during the time period. Be sure to check trigger warnings before reading.

I was attracted to the setting and the time period of this novel about a mother and two daughters. After all, it was a golden era that many of us grew up in and remember. Surfing and California were like magic to many of us so the title is apt.
I was a little disappointed at how disjointed the book read, especially in the beginning. It seems like it needs a good edit. There was some potential here and the storyline kept my interest, but the characters' choices seemed preposterous in many cases, as did their lives. I see that the author based this on a real set of surfing mother and daughters, and I appreciate the research, but it just didn't seem to come together for me. However, if the reader sticks with it, they will find that it improves as the story progresses.

This book is hard to review. There were parts that I loved, but it just moved too slow. The story is good once you get to it.

It’s about a mom and her two daughters in the 1960’s California surfing world. Carol Donnelly is a woman who makes her life about surfing and resents her daughters and feels trapped because of them. Her daughters are mostly left to fend for themselves. The oldest daughter, Mindy, grows up having to be strong and keep her sister, Ginger, safe, always worried about being taken away by the state. The sisters grow up and go their separate ways and have their own problems and then come together a couple times throughout their lives.

I wasn’t a fan of how the story was broken up. It seemed erratic and confusing at times. Most of the book was sad and depressing and then the ending just wrapped everything up.

I felt invested in the story. I liked the sisters even though they were both infuriating at times. I wasn’t as invested with the mom’s character, but I did appreciate how we came to know more about her toward the end of the book.

Would I recommend this book? Sure. It’s a good beach read. I gave it 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this ARC.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Random House and Vanessa Duque for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I had read another book by this author, The Swans of Fifth Avenue,( which I loved)and I was excited to read this one. It was touted as similar to Malibu Rising( another book that I enjoyed). I am sorry to say that I was not as happy with this book as I had anticipated. It was well written and well researched. However, it was relentlessly bleak and cheerless. The main characters were unlikeable. The story, while interesting, was so sad and heavy that I had a hard time finishing it.It just was not my cup of tea.

A story about 3 flawed female surfers, a mom and her 2 daughters. Set in California in the 60s, when women were just starting out in the sport. Very well developed characters and storyline. Looking forward to more by her!

I had a hard time getting into this book. I just felt a disconnect somewhere with the characters. I was not able to finish this one. I beleive the writting style may have been an issue for me as well. Was just not hooked into the story and wasn't left wanting more of the story.

The time and location of the setting were perfect— LA surf culture in the 60s with sex, drugs and rock! This is a tough book for me to review as there were parts of it that I really liked and parts that I didn’t. The story revolves around the Donnelly women, two sisters who chose different paths and the mother who barely raised them. I struggled to connect with the choices of the women (especially the mother), especially the overlap of men with the sisters. I did like how it all came together at the end.

*Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for this advance copy for review

I loved this story of the Donnelly women. I loved the 1960's setting in California and the surfing references. I really enjoyed the character study of the mother and her two daughters, it was beautifully written.

Drama, tragedy, redemption and trailblazing women being bulldozed by the men of the 50’s/60’s… A woman who didn’t want to be a mother…and her two daughters: one who couldn’t figure it out and one who did. I loved the surfing undertones taken in this deeply moving story of the Donnelly Girls! If you like Taylor Jenkins Reid, check this one out!!!

absolutely loved this book. This is the second book I’ve read from Melanie Benjamin. California Golden is the story of the Donnelly women. The mother, Carol, is a jock in high school who wants to try out for the All-American Women’s Baseball league. However,her plans are derailed when she becomes pregnant and married in the 1940s. She has a daughter, Mindy, followed a few years later by another daughter, Ginger. It’s a story about motherhood, family relationships, and life goals. I want to thank NetGalley, Random House, and Melanie Benjamin for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful story.

I have read pretty much all of author Melanie Benjamin's work & really enjoy her takes of historical fiction. She finds neat ways to retell famous characters from new perspectives, often based on little-known or newer facts that have come to light (looking at you Lindbergh!). As a long-time west coaster who just missed the wild 60's, this one set in SoCal appealed tremendously & I was not disappointed in the time frame, setting or writing. The two sister MC's, Mindy & Ginger and the surfing culture are very well rendered, with their alternating POV's, along with mom, Carol's. Highly recommend to those that enjoy books like "Daisy Jones". My sincere thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for the complimentary DRC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In Melanie Benjamin's latest work of historical fiction, set against the sun-drenched backdrop of 1960s California, we meet Carol Donnelly, a renowned female surfer who rides the waves instead of raising her daughters. Despite her surf skills, Carol struggles with motherhood, often leaving her daughters Mindy and Ginger behind in pursuit of her passion for surfing and trophies. In a bid to win their mother's affection, the two daughters enter their surfing era. Mindy encourages Ginger to join her in the waves, but while Mindy excels in the sport, landing movie roles and winning competitions, Ginger finds solace in the sand, preferring to watch from afar. As Ginger starts dating a self-proclaimed surf god who prioritizes his laid-back lifestyle over her, the sisters' lives take divergent paths against the backdrop of the 1960s.

If you like Taylor Jenkins Reid and Kristin Hannah you will enjoy this book. It totally gave me Malibu Rising vibes. In the end, I found this book to be captivating from start to finish. It delivered on many elements that I enjoy in a story, including a distinct setting and time period, multiple perspectives, a non-linear timeline, moments of rooting for the characters and also feeling frustrated with their choices, and a gratifying ending.

This book comes out August 8th, 2023 and I think it would be perfect to read near the end of summer. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC.

Melanie Benjamin continues her trend of producing excellent and thoughtful historical fiction. She puts the reader right on the beaches of SoCal as she describes surfer and movie culture. Well-written, atmospheric, and just an overall fun read, Benjamin’s many fans will enjoy this book!

This book was well written. I like the historical aspect and the authors writing made me feel like I was actually in that historical timeframe. I think there is some thing missing but I haven’t been able to put my finger on it. But overall I enjoyed it.

I received a free ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Benjamin's latest novel firmly provides a sense of place - the sun-kissed beaches and wondrous powerful surf of southern California and Hawaii. The surf culture is in its infancy, colliding with the turmoil of Vietnam and the free love, drug-hazed 1960s. That sense of place allows her characters to shine and to stumble as they negotiate being female in a male dominated world.

Ahh - the Donnelly girls: mother Carol and daughters Mindy and Ginger. Carol doesn't want to be a mother and she resents her daughters' very existence; she views them as the barriers to her true, free self.

Mindy comes up with The Plan, aka how not to be taken away and sent to an orphanage. She and Ginger follow every cue from Carol, allowing Carol the freedom to surf without the burdens of motherhood. It just is never enough.

Benjamin cleverly crafts her plot structure so we first see their life through Mindy and Ginger's eyes. Carol does not come off well. It is rather a surprise when the second section is more Carol's story. I had not expected to feel sympathy for her; her needs are so elemental and primal that, although her actions aren't justified, we know that Carol deserved more choices.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I was excited to get this ARC because I’ve enjoyed a few of Melanie Benjamin’s previous novels. I’m happy to report I loved California Golden as much, if not more, than the others.

The Donnellys: Carol, mother but no matriarch; Mindy, eldest daughter and default caretaker; and Ginger, youngest in every way. The three live on the beaches of Southern California. Carol is a surfer. It’s the 1950s and 60s, so the number of female surfers is small. But Carol has always felt most alive when she is moving her body athletically. Carol shrugs off societal norms, including those of motherhood. Mindy and Ginger are acutely aware they are not their mother’s top priority. They aim to be good, hoping it will anchor their mother home. Both begin surf journeys. Mindy picks it up quickly, while Ginger always maintains some fear of the ocean.

This book spans a long period of the Donnelly lives. We see the women grow closer, farther, closer. Their love for one another is tangible, beautiful and complicated. Ginger joins the Brotherhood in Laguna Beach, a cult-like community selling hash and acid. She follows her boyfriend Tom, an abusive, racist and ridiculously charismatic drug dealer to the lowest lows. Mindy gains fame as a movie surf double who breaks into the Hollywood scene. Mindy’s flame burns out quickly, and she finds herself on a tour of Vietnam, performing songs and dancing for the tired and injured soldiers. And then, Carol, always on the brink of abandoning her daughters to follow her heart.

Following these women from child to adult covers a lot of ground. Some of it is heart wrenching (as noted, domestic violence, drug abuse). I loved the writing and the depth of the characters. I was eager to know how the journeys of heart, mind and body would unfold. It was one of those books I didn’t want to finish because I knew I’d miss the characters (but Benjamin did land the ending in a way that worked). Highly recommended. I’ll be moving some of Benjamin’s older novels to the top of my to read shelf. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin is one of the best storytellers I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
I really enjoyed these characters and honestly wouldn’t have minded if the book were longer.
The setting in Southern California, 1960s in Malibu was exciting and vividly told.
I had the absolute best time with The Donnelly sisters. Getting to see their story up unfold and follow their journey was emotional and captivating at the same time.
The pacing was amazing, the plots, the characters, the writing.
Melanie Benjamin’s writing style is something wonderful. I love it.
I admire her way to grab you from the first moment until the very end.
She delivers a vividly descriptive, interesting, and well-written read here with characters and a setting that totally captivated and intrigued me.
I was totally taken and fascinated by this story.

“A riveting and joyful early days of California surf culture in this dazzling saga of passion, atonement, and the tangled ties between mothers and daughters.”

“A spellbinding, emotional story set at a time when mothers were expected to be Donna Reed, not Gidget, California Golden is an unforgettable novel about three women living in a society that was shifting as frantically as the breaking waves.”

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine & Delacorte Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This heartbreaking story takes place in Southern California spanning from the 50s through early 70s. Carol Donnely never wanted to be a wife or a mother. Finding herself both - she finds herself drawn to the beach and the surf abandoning her young daughters and husband. Nothing else mattered to her but catching the perfect wave.

Mindy and Ginger, sisters who grown up learning that in order to get attention from their mother they must love the surf as much as her. Quickly learning to surf, Mindy excels in the sport and finds herself a semi celebrity in Hollywood during the 60's beach movie heyday. Ginger, who is hesitant in the water, finds herself abandoned again and again by everyone she loves. In an abusive relationship, Ginger falls into drugs, homelessness and cults chasing the love she craves.

I found this book hard to read, it was broken up in three different parts, and none seemed to flow. I wanted to know certain details quicker. I almost wished it was told by each of the Donnely girls simultaneously instead of how it was broken up.

It was a very sad, depressing story that felt tied together with a pink bow at the end. It was beautifully written but not one for the faint of heart when it comes to mother's love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

I really am such a Melanie Benjamin fan, and I must admit, at first I wasn’t excited for surfing or the 60s, but I loved it and found myself ripping through the pages as we learned more about Indy, Carol and Ginger.

It’s going to be another justified hit, and w total beach read-pun intended!