Melanie Benjamin: California Golden

Melanie Benjamin joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest work of historical fiction, CALIFORNIA GOLDEN. Set in Southern California in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the story is built around Carol --- a prize-winning surfer at a time when women were not big contenders in the sport --- and her two daughters, Mindy and Ginger. Melanie discusses the structure of the book with the daughters’ story coming first, then the mother’s, and finally all of them together. She also delves into how the lives of women have changed over the past decades, as well as her research on surfing and life during these times in California and Hawaii. Book discussed in this episode:  CALIFORNIA GOLDEN by Melanie Benjamin https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/california-golden Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Shari Lapena: https://youtu.be/zCT_Z1nJPT0 Tracey Lange: https://youtu.be/NvMLQsooDvQ Naomi Hirahara: https://youtu.be/pwvkwqt2No Liz Nugent: https://youtu.be/pH2HEvvyiAo Alli Frank and Asha Youmans: https://youtu.be/d02mLanJV8g Carolyn Mackler: https://youtu.be/L4M-w9BeaTk Adrienne Brodeur: https://youtu.be/6U7kf2KVtco Lisa See: https://youtu.be/D8XYEYI60Ww Nancy Horan: https://youtu.be/49bdiHbIUmY Linwood Barclay: https://youtu.be/pkDG90y9FN0 Alice Elliott Dark: https://youtu.be/9AAk-lLDRbc Kate Morton: https://youtu.be/LMjdzDRlqrg Check out our past “Bookaccino Live” Book Group events: Nita Prose: https://youtu.be/f_Ev0KN8z2M Chamaine Wilkerson: https://youtu.be/0DluxmfXGoI  Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray: https://youtu.be/rYelwWiTJbE Janet Skeslien Charles: https://youtu.be/47Sx9DtcAkA Miranda Cowley Heller: https://youtu.be/gVlKvApDO8M Sign up for newsletters from Bookreporter and Reading Group Guides here: https://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/ FOLLOW US on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald Edited by Jordan Redd Productions