Golden State: A Novel - Softcover

Richmond, Michelle

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385343280 ISBN 13: 9780385343282

Publisher: Bantam, 2014

Synopsis

The state of California votes on secession in the wake of a divisive presidential election in this gripping, prescient novel of marriage, family, and social upheaval set in modern-day San Francisco. Doctor Julie Walker, a general internist at the VA, has just signed her divorce papers when she receives news that her younger sister, Heather, has gone into labor. Though theirs is a strained relationship, Julie sets out for the hospital to be at her sister's side--no easy task, as the streets of San Francisco have erupted into chaos. Today is the day that Californians vote on whether or not to secede from the United States. Today is also the day that Julie will find herself at the epicenter of a violent standoff with a hostage-taker who was once her patient and friend. 
As the day unfolds, Julie is forced to examine both the promising and painful parts of her past--her Southern childhood; her romance with her husband, Tom; her estrangement from Heather; and the shattering incident that led to her greatest loss. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jacquelyn Mitchard, and Anna Quindlen, Golden State is a powerful, complex novel that explores the intricacies of marriage, family, and the profound moments that shape our lives.Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jacquelyn Mitchard, and Anna Quindlen, Golden State is a powerful, mesmerizing new novel that explores the intricacies of marriage, family, and the profound moments that shape our lives.
 
Praise for the novels of Michelle Richmond
 
"Highly recommended [for fans of] authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard."--Library Journal (starred review), on The Year of the Fog
 
"An intelligent, emotionally convincing tale."--The Boston Globe, on No One You Know
 
"A work of fiction [that] raises our sights to higher truths."--South Florida Sun-Sentinel, on Dream of the Blue Room
 
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About this title

From the Author:

Golden State began several years ago with the idea of a woman making her way on foot from one end of San Francisco to the other. I envisioned a journey of one day, a day on which the narrator's past and present would collide. Julie Walker, who grew up in poverty in rural Mississippi, has made a good life for herself in California. She is a doctor at the Veterans Administration hospital, and she has enjoyed many happy years as a wife, mother, and physician. 
Now, on the eve of her fortieth birthday, it all seems to be falling apart. Her marriage to Tom, a radio personality with whom she is still in love, is dissolving. At the same time, she is attempting to repair her relationship with her sister, Heather, who is about to give birth. And years after losing her own child, Julie is struggling with her inability to forgive Heather, whom she holds responsible for the tragedy.
All of this happens against the backdrop of a San Francisco in chaos, as Californians are voting on whether or not to secede from the United States. I wanted to explore the idea that events that seem outlandish or impossible are often just around the corner. As Tom declares, week after week, in his nationally syndicated radio show, "Anything is possible." The title, GOLDEN STATE, is a nod to the idea of California as the golden ideal, a place where people go to reinvent themselves. But when you scratch the surface of a gilded thing, you always find its hidden imperfections. 
Golden State is a story about relationships--about what happens when the impetus to disconnect is stronger than our desire to stay together. It is also a story about change: we become accustomed to a certain narrative of our lives, both personal and public. What happens when that narrative is disrupted? What happens when we are forced to recalibrate everything? How do we start over? How do we forgive?
It took me five years to write Golden State. I will admit that I poured everything into it: my experiences as a wife and the mother of a young child, my memories of the deep South, and my love for the strange and messy and wonderful experiment that is San Francisco. I am so thankful to the readers who have read The Year of Fog and No One You Know, and so honored to have received your emails and read your reviews. I hope that Golden State will speak to you.
 And by the way, I love to hear from readers! You can always communicate with me through my website, michellerichmond.com, or through my twitter and facebook accounts.

About the Author:

Michelle Richmond is the bestselling author of The Year of Fog, No One You Know, Dream of the Blue Room, and the award-winning story collections Hum and The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress. She is the recipient of the Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize and the Hillsdale Award for Fiction. A native of Alabama's Gulf Coast, she makes her home in Northern California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0385343280
• ISBN 13: 9780385343282
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304