Lady Sunshine
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Average rating5
For Jackie Pierce, everything changed the summer of 1979, when she spent three months with her bohemian relatives at their sprawling California estate. As musicians, artists, and free spirits gathered there for the season, she and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship along the rocky beach and in the wild woods...until their summer abruptly ended in tragedy. Twenty years later, Jackie inherits the iconic estate and returns for a short visit to ready it for sale. But her plans go awry when a charming music producer shows up and convinces her to stay for the summer so his ensemble can record a '70s anniversary album there. While at first Jackie keeps to herself, as her guests bring the wild property to life again, she finds herself increasingly trading her task for campfires, late-night swims, and even a secret love. But when a heart-wrenching discovery sparks new questions about Willa and that summer long ago, Jackie must race to uncover the truth before it slips away forever.
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Cinematic. This is one of those books that is very easy to imagine on a screen somewhere, with the younger more idyllic scenes in bright yellow tones and the older, more mature scenes in blue tones. While it didn't hit me as hard as Doan's prior works, it was still a strong coming of age tale of secrets, revelations, finding oneself, and forgiveness. Both timelines were extremely vivid and visceral, and both worked well to show where our main character was at each point in her life. Truly an excellent read, particularly in the summer (and perfectly timed, releasing the week before a traditional major vacation week in the US). Very much recommended.
