What readers think of California Golden, plus links to write your own review.

"California Golden" by Malene Benjamin is an enamoring investigation of affection, flexibility, and self-disclosure set against the energetic background of California. Benjamin's exposition is distinctive and genuinely full, bringing per users into a reality where characters explore life's intricacies. The story's special mix of sentiment and reflection makes it a convincing read, having an enduring impact on those looking for a genuine and interesting account.

On the glorious beaches of Southern California and Hawaii, the surf is up in this 1960s-era tale about mothers and daughters.
You can practically hear The Beach Boys singing “California Girls” in this novel about surfer sisters Mindy and Ginger Donnelly and their mother, Carol, a world-class athlete and terrible mom. Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising (2021) will enjoy this story, which shares some of same locales, but the dysfunctional family at its center is one of a kind. Carol is a water creature who never got the knack of how to be a mother. Her first love is the ocean, and her daughters suffer because of it. They wear dirty clothes, Carol forgets to pick them up at school, and she regularly abandons them to hit the beach. When Mindy and Ginger are teens, they too become surfers, though Mindy is a natural and Ginger is struggling to keep up. Things go sideways when Mindy outshines Carol in the water, and that's just the beginning of the grown-up problems the sisters face. Benjamin nails the damage caused by traumatic childhoods marked by insecurity and fear of abandonment. Mindy becomes a shallow minor celebrity garnering small roles in beach movies, and Ginger comes under the spell of a narcissistic drug user. The three Donnellys go their separate ways until, years later, fate steps in. This sun-soaked novel is wonderfully awash in the music, television, and fashion of the '60s as well as the counterculture movement that touted drugs and dropping out. Benjamin based this novel, in part, on real-life female surfers who faced sexism in the mid-20th century.
A sun-drenched tale of two sisters trying to make peace with their past.

Melanie Benjamin's "California Golden" takes readers on a captivating journey through the sun-soaked landscapes of Southern California in the 1960s, where the thrilling emergence of surf culture intertwines with the complex dynamics of a family breaking away from societal expectations.

At the heart of this novel are the Donnelly sisters, Mindy and Ginger, who navigate the waves of their unconventional upbringing against the backdrop of the burgeoning surf scene. Benjamin skillfully weaves a tale of ambition, sacrifice, and the intricate bonds between mothers and daughters, making "California Golden" an emotionally charged and thought-provoking read.

The narrative centers around Carol Donnelly, a trailblazing female surfer defying the traditional roles imposed on women in the '60s. As she pursues her passion for surfing, her daughters, Mindy and Ginger, grapple with the consequences of her unconventional choices. The author expertly captures the tension between Carol's absence, both physical and emotional, and the Donnelly sisters' quest for identity and connection.

Mindy, the older sister, is a natural in the surf, navigating a world that expects her to conform to societal norms. Her journey takes her from the waves of Malibu to the glittering nights at Whisky a Go Go, and eventually, into the world of celebrity, complete with beachside love affairs and a USO tour in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ginger, two years her junior, seeks solace in the counterculture of drugs and cults as she searches for her own sense of belonging.

The novel beautifully captures the ebb and flow of Mindy and Ginger's relationship, reflecting the tumultuous era in which they come of age. As the sisters diverge into separate worlds, their unbreakable bond remains, grounded in the emotional scars of their unconventional childhood.

"California Golden" not only serves as a compelling exploration of the early days of surf culture but also delves into the societal shifts and expectations placed on women during a transformative period. The novel paints a vivid picture of a time when women were expected to fit the mold of Donna Reed, contrasting sharply with the freedom-seeking spirit of Gidget.

In conclusion, Melanie Benjamin delivers an unforgettable novel that combines the thrill of surf culture with a poignant family saga. "California Golden" is a poignant reminder that even against the backdrop of breaking waves, the ties that bind family are as enduring as the tides of change in a society on the brink of transformation.

California Golden takes on the surfing culture of 1960s California. Think Gidget and Beach Boys. Mindy and Ginger are the daughters of surfing phenom Carol. In order to have any connection with their mother, they have both taken up surfing. Mindy takes to it, to pardon the pun, like a fish to water. Ginger is not a natural. One night, they make different decisions and their lives veer in vastly different directions.

The book is divided into three parts. The first covers the period from their preteens through their early twenties. It flits back and forth through the years, and from Mindy to Ginger and back again. The second part covers their mother Carol, “the anti-Betty Crocker”. A woman happy to walk out on her family to surf. And finally, the third section, which moves to the 1970s.

None of these women were likable, although they were all sympathetic. Carol, who should never have been a mother. And her daughters, the results of poor parenting having left marks on each. The girls react in very different ways; Mindy building up walls, Ginger becoming totally dependent on a bad man. Benjamin does a good job painting the time and place. She encompasses both the Hollywood and the surfing scenes, the cults and Vietnam. The USO scenes were very strong. She also does a good job encompassing the prejudices of the time.

Unfortunately, the plot is predictable beyond belief. And I found the entire book oddly dissatisfying - a little too shallow and the characters too flat, despite the situations presented. Benjamin took her inspiration from a real life mother and daughter surfing trio, but her characters’ lives are purely made up.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for an advance copy of this book.