Go to main contentsGo to search barGo to main menu
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Ad

Allison's Book Report: “California Golden” by Melanie Benjamin

Allison's Book Report: “California Golden” by Melanie Benjamin

As we move into the first week of fall, I have to admit that I have been uncharacteristically resistant to letting summer go. Don't get me wrong. I am loving that snappy chill in the air early in the morning, the football chatter coming from my TV, and I have already busted out the fall candles. I am always here for everything pumpkin spice. But a tiny part of me is just a little sad to see summer fade into fall – it just feels like it happened so quickly.

No worries, though. This week's book is a great way to feel the last of the summery vibes of the year. “California Golden” is the newest book from Melanie Benjamin, the author of “The Aviator's Wife” and several other bestsellers. “California Golden” centers around the Donnelly sisters as they navigate the early days of 1960s California surf culture. In a time when women were expected to be diligent housewives and mothers, Carol Donnelly is breaking all the rules as a legendary surfer competing in the mostly male-dominated sport. Her young daughters, Mindy and Ginger, are left to fend for themselves while Carol is physically and emotionally absent. The girls start cutting school to spend their days at the beach, chasing their mother’s elusive affection and learning to surf. The surfing comes easily to Mindy, but Ginger, who is two years younger, never truly feels at ease in the water.

As the sisters grow up, their relationship ebbs and flows like the ocean. Mindy's surfing career blossoms, and she lives the life of a celebrity – beachside love affairs, parties at the Playboy Club, and eventually, a USO tour in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ginger searches for the family and sense of belonging she never had and gets sucked into the dangerous counterculture of drugs and cults. No matter how different their paths become, Mindy and Ginger remain connected by the unorthodox childhood that they survived together.

“California Golden” is, at its heart, a novel about three women living in uncertain times and the rocky-at-times relationships that get them through, even when their unconventional lifestyles don't meet the expectations of the society around them. 

“California Golden” will make you want to turn on the Beach Boys and get lost in the 60s surf scene. It is full of the sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll we associate with the time and overflowing with emotion and heart. “California Golden” will transport readers to the beach and is the perfect way to say goodbye to summer. Grab a copy of this book, settle into your hammock, and enjoy the first week of fall – then pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader, where I will be reading and rambling as usual, and let me know what books are helping you to usher in a new season.

Allison Diegel is the Executive Chaos Coordinator at the Diegel Home for Wayward Girls and Their Many Pets here in her hometown of Fallon. She has been reading since before she could talk, and now she likes doing lots of both.
 


Share
Rate

Comment

Comments

July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 1
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 2
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 3
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 4
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 5
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 6
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 7
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 8
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 9
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 10
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 11
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 12
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 13
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 14
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 15
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 16
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 1Page no. 1
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 2Page no. 2
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 3Page no. 3
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 4Page no. 4
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 5Page no. 5
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 6Page no. 6
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 7Page no. 7
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 8Page no. 8
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 9Page no. 9
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 10Page no. 10
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 11Page no. 11
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 12Page no. 12
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 13Page no. 13
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 14Page no. 14
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 15Page no. 15
July 4, 2025 -Fallon Gears Up for a “Bee-autiful”  - page 16Page no. 16
COMMENTS
C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: What are MFNs and PBMs ?? ............................ From the editor: This is a very good question and we apologize for not catching that wasn't in there. We reached out to the writer/submitter and got this info back...hope it's helpful. PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Managers are pharmacies that are owned by insurance companies. (CVS is one.) They negotiate with drug makers to get reduced pricing for medications, but they historically have not passed along those savings to patients. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf MFN: Most Favored Nation pricing is a policy that means a country agrees to offer the same trade concessions (like tariffs or price reductions) to all member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). When applied to pharmaceuticals, it could disrupt global access, deter innovation, and obscure the deeper systemic issues in American health care. https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/05/22/the-global-risks-of-americas-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy/Comment publication date: 6/23/25, 7:47 AMComment source: L E T T E R TO THE EDITORComment author: Debra J RidenourComment text: So sorry for your loss. My condolences to the family.Comment publication date: 6/21/25, 7:25 PMComment source: Obituary - Ronald Warren Biggs K Comment author: Kim RawlingsComment text: well then vote them out next timeComment publication date: 6/20/25, 2:21 PMComment source: Spross Hired as County Manager After Split Vote, Updates Commission on Current ProjectsComment author: Chris GarrisonComment text: Congratulations Hornets and to Bryce Timmons for making Allstars! I’m a very proud Grandma! ♥️Comment publication date: 6/20/25, 1:39 PMComment source: Fallon Hornets Compete at Youth Nationals Baseball Tournament
SUPPORT OUR WORK