Mother, Sisters, and Surfing

 

In the 1960’s the Southern California surfing scene was the place to be. Carol Donnelly has no desire for the expected traditional role of wife and mother. She wants to be a professional surfer, and she’s good. The ones who suffer for their mother’s ambition are her daughters, Mindy and Ginger. Wanting to be with their mother, they start spending time in the water. Mindy is a natural surfer, but Ginger is uncomfortable.

The sisters grow up making different choices some good, some destructive. Mindy follows in her mother’s footsteps in professional surfing, and she’s a star. Ginger looking for her own place moves into drugs and men who take advantage of her. Through it all, the sisters maintain their strong bond from the childhood they shared.

The Southern California described in this book is magical from the beaches, bathing suits and surf to the exciting nights at clubs and beach-side parties. Having lived in Southern California I love revisiting it. The story itself is very emotional. The dysfunctional family and the heartache it causes is made very real. I thought the author did a good job with the characterization. That said, I really didn’t like the characters, but considering their emotional problems, I think that was realistic. If you want a great trip to the beach, I think you’ll like this book.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this review copy.