Set in the 1960s\, Benjamin's latest novel \, \;California Golden\, focuses on sisters Mindy and Ginger who feel abandoned by their mother as she attempts to become one of the f irst female surfing legends. Feeling neglected and overlooked\, the sister s start to search for communities of their own sending them down separate paths. While spotlighting motherhood\, family\, and generational trauma\, the book also explores surf culture\, Hollywood parties\, and cults. \ ;Entertainment Weekly called it "A shimmering rendering . . . pai rs the surf culture of the Beach Boys with the sex\, drugs\, and rock 'n' roll of Daisy Jones &\; The Six. "
\nMelanie Benjamin is the author of The \;New York Times \;and \;USA T oday \;bestselling historical novels \;The Swans of Fifth Avenue\, about Truman Capote and his society swans\, \;The Aviator&rsquo\;s Wife\, a novel about Anne Morrow Lin dbergh\, and \;Mistress of the Ritz\, based on the true story of the American woman who ran the Ritz during World War II\, catering to the Nazi occupiers by day while wo rking for the Resistance by night. Her novels have been translated in over fifteen languages\, featured in national magazines such as \;Good Housekeeping\, \;People\, and \;Entertainment W eekly\, and optioned for film.
\nMelanie is a native of the Mid west\, having grown up in Indianapolis\, Indiana\, where she pursued her f irst love\, theater. After raising her two sons\, Melanie\, a life-long re ader (including being the proud winner\, two years in a row\, of her homet own library&rsquo\;s summer reading program!)\, decided to pursue a writin g career. After writing her own parenting column for a local magazine\, an d winning a short story contest\, Melanie published two contemporary novel s under her real name\, Melanie Hauser\, before turning to historical fict ion.
\nThis event is generously sponsored by The Urbana Free Library Foundation.
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