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Lady Sunshine
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ONE ICONIC FAMILY. ONE SUMMER OF SECRETS. THE DAZZLING SPIRIT OF 1970S CALIFORNIA.
For Jackie Pierce, everything changed the summer of 1979, when she spent three months of infinite freedom at her bohemian uncle’s sprawling estate on the California coast. As musicians, artists, and free spirits gathered at The Sandcastle for the season in pursuit of inspiration and communal ...more
For Jackie Pierce, everything changed the summer of 1979, when she spent three months of infinite freedom at her bohemian uncle’s sprawling estate on the California coast. As musicians, artists, and free spirits gathered at The Sandcastle for the season in pursuit of inspiration and communal ...more
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Mae Burkitt
More sexual content than violence, but it is not extreme or gratuitous
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Start your review of Lady Sunshine
This is mesmerizingly impressive! This author can draw colorful paintings and create lyrical compositions by only using her talented story telling skills. Time traveling between 79’s to 99’s to tell us whirlwind, emotional, epic friendship of two cousins hook you up to your seats and let you enjoy your virtual trip!
You find yourself at the fairy tal-ish universe of Sandcastle: impeccably elaborated, vividly depicted portraits, engaging, realistic dialogues, connectable, genuine characters and ...more
You find yourself at the fairy tal-ish universe of Sandcastle: impeccably elaborated, vividly depicted portraits, engaging, realistic dialogues, connectable, genuine characters and ...more
Jul 13, 2021
Tina
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hoopla-audiobooks,
historical-fiction
3.5
I really enjoyed this story. ☀️ The writing is lovely and flows well and the narration is perfect as I listened to the audiobook. The characters vividly came alive for me.
The story is told in two timelines. In 1979, Jackie Pierce is sent to live with her Uncle Graham (who happens to be a popular folk singer) and his family on his compound for the summer. They live like hippies and this is very new to Jackie. As she begins to get closer to her cousin Willa, they share many new experiences toge ...more
I really enjoyed this story. ☀️ The writing is lovely and flows well and the narration is perfect as I listened to the audiobook. The characters vividly came alive for me.
The story is told in two timelines. In 1979, Jackie Pierce is sent to live with her Uncle Graham (who happens to be a popular folk singer) and his family on his compound for the summer. They live like hippies and this is very new to Jackie. As she begins to get closer to her cousin Willa, they share many new experiences toge ...more
Jul 11, 2021
Angela M
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
edelweiss-reviews
3.5 stars rounded up.
Two summers, twenty years apart, characters I liked, a nostalgic look at the 1979 through music, a bit of a mystery (not my usual read). I found this to be a perfect summer read. Light in many ways, even though not without some dark spots. It was easy to read and I was pulled in wanting to know what happened at the end of that first summer. Seventeen year old Jackie goes off to spend the summer at her famous folk singer uncle’s compound in California. It’s a summer of music, ...more
Two summers, twenty years apart, characters I liked, a nostalgic look at the 1979 through music, a bit of a mystery (not my usual read). I found this to be a perfect summer read. Light in many ways, even though not without some dark spots. It was easy to read and I was pulled in wanting to know what happened at the end of that first summer. Seventeen year old Jackie goes off to spend the summer at her famous folk singer uncle’s compound in California. It’s a summer of music, ...more
What is on the soundtrack for your summer? After picking up this new release from Amy Mason Doan, it may include an eclectic mix of folk, pop, and disco. There is even a playlist on Spotify all ready to go. For me, this book joins Mary Jane and Daisy Jones & The Six for a hat trick. A trinity of music-themed reads that will transport you back to the 70's. This book has dual timelines 20 years apart. In 1979, Jacqueline Pierce is given the nickname Lady Sunshine by her has-been,folk-singer uncle
...more
Jun 24, 2021
"Avonna
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
gifted-from-publisher,
net-galley
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
LADY SUNSHINE by Amy Mason Doan is a new women’s fiction story that has two intertwining timelines, the first is of an idyllic summer in 1979 when two young cousins come together and the second is 1999, as one cousin faces truths and discovers secrets from that free-spirited summer.
This new-to-me author hooked me immediately with vivid characters and nostalgia that takes a very unexpected turn not once, but twice during this capti ...more
LADY SUNSHINE by Amy Mason Doan is a new women’s fiction story that has two intertwining timelines, the first is of an idyllic summer in 1979 when two young cousins come together and the second is 1999, as one cousin faces truths and discovers secrets from that free-spirited summer.
This new-to-me author hooked me immediately with vivid characters and nostalgia that takes a very unexpected turn not once, but twice during this capti ...more
I absolutely adored this nostalgic flashback to 1979’s summer of love and music. The setting takes place along the scenic northern California coast at the Sandcastle. From beginning to end the story transported me to another time and place. I loved this coming-of-age tale of self-discovery, revelations and forgiveness. This is the story of a young female friendship entangled with mystery, a family hiding disturbing secrets, and the communal gatherings that surrounded an iconic folk-singer/songwr
...more
It's 1979. Jackie is seventeen years old and wants to escape her life in San Francisco. She is permitted to visit her folk singer-songwriter uncle Graham for the summer. He is the brother of her deceased mother and lives on a 416-acre compound in northern California by the ocean with his wife Angela and teenage daughter Willa. Graham had been a top artist but his career has waned. He now welcomes other artists to use his legendary basement recording studio and come and go as they please. It’s a
...more
Jul 13, 2021
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library-1
I have loved Amy Mason Doan’s first two books, The Summer List and Summer Hours, and Lady Sunshine is her best yet. Set between 1979 and 1999, Jackie Pierce narrates the story centered her musician uncle’s estate, The Sandcastle.
The first timeline is during the three months she lives with her uncle and his family, and the second timeline is during the time she has inherited The Sandcastle from her late uncle.
The writing is flawless, and gosh, how I cherished these characters. I loved the friends ...more
The first timeline is during the three months she lives with her uncle and his family, and the second timeline is during the time she has inherited The Sandcastle from her late uncle.
The writing is flawless, and gosh, how I cherished these characters. I loved the friends ...more
Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired.
Lady Sunshine was a whim pickup for me. I loved the cover, the blurb sounded fantastic, and well, I can't ignore anything with folk music. A young adult girlhood dream to live with the land, to see a musician at work, to live alongside the ocean. The seventeen-year Jackie of 1979 doesn't yet know this will be the summer that shapes her, that changes her forever, but soon she will. The hardened Jackie of 1999 knows what those three-months did to her ...more
Lady Sunshine was a whim pickup for me. I loved the cover, the blurb sounded fantastic, and well, I can't ignore anything with folk music. A young adult girlhood dream to live with the land, to see a musician at work, to live alongside the ocean. The seventeen-year Jackie of 1979 doesn't yet know this will be the summer that shapes her, that changes her forever, but soon she will. The hardened Jackie of 1999 knows what those three-months did to her ...more
Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan
Women’s fiction with just a hint of mystery. Historical is you consider the 1970’s that way.
From Jackie’s point of view both in 1979 as a teen and 1999 having inherited the property and deciding where her life will go from there.
In 1979, Jackie spent a few months at the California estate of her uncle. There are few rules, communal living, music influences and bonfires with a spin-the-bottle entertainment. Think hippie lifestyle. Not all is happy and carefree behi ...more
Women’s fiction with just a hint of mystery. Historical is you consider the 1970’s that way.
From Jackie’s point of view both in 1979 as a teen and 1999 having inherited the property and deciding where her life will go from there.
In 1979, Jackie spent a few months at the California estate of her uncle. There are few rules, communal living, music influences and bonfires with a spin-the-bottle entertainment. Think hippie lifestyle. Not all is happy and carefree behi ...more
Amy Mason Doan, the author of “Lady Sunshine” has written a nostalgic, intriguing, and captivating novel. The Genres for this story are Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction, with the essence of mystery and romance. This story takes place over a 20 year period, 1979 and 1999, and goes to the past and future when it pertains to the events or characters. The author describes her dramatic and colorful characters as complex and complicated. I love that this novel mentions music in so many way and that t
...more
Lady Sunshine is more than a story to read and enjoy—it is a story you will LIVE and experience. I was completely and instantly transported to 1979, when Jackie exits the town car that has brought her to spend the summer with her uncle and his family. Like Jackie, I fell under the spell of the spirit of The Sandcastle, with the music, the freedom and the people who lived in the cabins, walked along the beach, hiked in the hills, and sat around the campfire. As idyllic as that summer was, there w
...more
I'm a big fan of Amy Mason Doan's work. She writes beautiful novels with memorable characters, set in unique locations. I particularly loved the setting for this book & if you want to be transported back to 70's sunny, California, you will too! Throughout the story we meet musicians, song-writers, tree-lovers, hippies & free spirits, all unique & complex individuals. The author does a wonderful job as always, creating realistic, endearing characters and a story so compelling I couldn't put the b
...more
Amy Mason Doan dazzles in this epic story of a family torn apart by secrets, only to be stitched back together again by forgiveness. Haunting and vivid, LADY SUNSHINE is a story about familial love, loyalty and redemption. Like her previous novels, Mason Doan has created layered and complex characters and an evocative setting that transports the reader to a time and place that sparkles with detail. The Sandcastle — and the people who live there — will stay with me for a long time.
Amy is at the top of her game, every Year she releases a book I know that my Summer will get much better reading her book! Amy's writing is always so lyrically entertaining with a captivating and thrilling story, her newest book Lady Sunshine is clever, endearing that merges dramatic and thrilling details, stacked with attractions. The author has blended some fascinating elements to bring us an epic and magnificent book with incredible characters and a compelling prose.
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Lady Synshine is absolute ...more
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Lady Synshine is absolute ...more
Apr 24, 2021
Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell
marked it as wishlist
·
review of another edition
I would like to file a petition to make it illegal to have all these amazing-sounding books come out while I'm desperately trying to wrangle my to-read list
...more
3.5 Love the title and cover. My hope was this would be a lighter but not sappy read. Needed a little sunshine in my life. For the most part it met and in parts exceeded my expectations. A nostalgic read as well, taking me back to summers spent with my cousins.
For Jackie, it would be a different summer, a time so unlike her life with her father and recent step mother. Time spent with her cousin Willa and her uncle, a musician of past fame who was now living on this compound, trying to bring his ...more
For Jackie, it would be a different summer, a time so unlike her life with her father and recent step mother. Time spent with her cousin Willa and her uncle, a musician of past fame who was now living on this compound, trying to bring his ...more
This story is awash with summer, reminding me of those summers of childhood where the season seems endless when school's out, but time suddenly speeds up as the number of carefree sunny days dwindles with the new autumn lesson term looming.
Jackie Pierce and her cousin Willa are not children this particular summer; they are 17 when the story begins and Lady Sunshine is a story of a summer where everything changes. Twenty years later Jackie returns to the place she left behind, along with her memo ...more
Jackie Pierce and her cousin Willa are not children this particular summer; they are 17 when the story begins and Lady Sunshine is a story of a summer where everything changes. Twenty years later Jackie returns to the place she left behind, along with her memo ...more
Amy Mason Doan is a natural storyteller and I enjoy reading her novels. I think she outdid her previous two with Lady Sunshine. I was worried that it was going to be another rock and roll biopic complete with lots of drugs and alcohol. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the angle with which she approached the combination of 1970s and famous musicians.
I liked the parts that took place in 1979 a lot. Amy really captured the feel of that time period. Given I was too young to appreciate that ye ...more
I liked the parts that took place in 1979 a lot. Amy really captured the feel of that time period. Given I was too young to appreciate that ye ...more
Lady Sunshine is a story about family love, loyalty, and growth.
Like her previous novels, Doan has created layered and complex characters with a beautiful setting in this dazzling story.
It's an evolving coming of age story that's provocative, powerful, and beautiful. I loved the dual timelines exploring the 70's to the 90's.
Doan is an inspiring storyteller and I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next. A book that is definitely needed on your tbr.
4/5 stars
Thank you to the publishe ...more
Like her previous novels, Doan has created layered and complex characters with a beautiful setting in this dazzling story.
It's an evolving coming of age story that's provocative, powerful, and beautiful. I loved the dual timelines exploring the 70's to the 90's.
Doan is an inspiring storyteller and I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next. A book that is definitely needed on your tbr.
4/5 stars
Thank you to the publishe ...more
Lady Sunshine
, Amy Mason Doan's newest novel, is a beautifully written, nostalgic story of friendship and family secrets.
The summer Jackie was 17, in 1979, she went to live with her musician uncle at The Sandcastle, his sprawling, campground-like, coastal estate in California. Friends, acolytes, and fellow musicians would flock there and live a bohemian lifestyle in the cabins and on the grounds, bringing and finding merriment, love, and musical inspiration.
Jackie took all of this in earnest ...more
The summer Jackie was 17, in 1979, she went to live with her musician uncle at The Sandcastle, his sprawling, campground-like, coastal estate in California. Friends, acolytes, and fellow musicians would flock there and live a bohemian lifestyle in the cabins and on the grounds, bringing and finding merriment, love, and musical inspiration.
Jackie took all of this in earnest ...more
I really enjoyed this one. Love books about the music industry (thanks to Daisy Jones), and this one gave me the all the flower power vibes, some family drama, and in the end it was a really well written and enthralling novel.
Full review:
I love this genre!! The Rock’n’Roll area, the flair of the 70s, summer vibes, music, and people just enjoying life. Ever since Daisy Jones & the Six I’ve come across books that channel this vibe very well.
I just recently read MARY JANE, also a novel set in the 7 ...more
Full review:
I love this genre!! The Rock’n’Roll area, the flair of the 70s, summer vibes, music, and people just enjoying life. Ever since Daisy Jones & the Six I’ve come across books that channel this vibe very well.
I just recently read MARY JANE, also a novel set in the 7 ...more
Dec 19, 2020
Amy Doan
rated it
it was amazing
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Look forward to sharing this book with you on June 29, 2021. Thanks for your support and hope reading is a comfort during this strange time. xoAmy
Dec 07, 2020
=^.^= Janet
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
zz-2020-rev-wir
Date reviewed/posted: December 7, 2020
Publication date: June 29, 2021
When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us, superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.
I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from ...more
Publication date: June 29, 2021
When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us, superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.
I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from ...more
Jul 28, 2021
Staci
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-fiction
Lady Sunshine is part coming of age story, the endearing and heartbreaking moments that come with it, and part story of loss, the loss of loved ones and of innocence. The story is told using a dual timeline, 1979 and 1999. Both time periods were done very well. I felt especially engaged in the ‘79 storyline. There is a playlist on Spotify with some of the music enjoyed throughout the story and it was a great way to really immerse yourself in the setting and time period. This is the second novel
...more
This book. This book!! Mason-Doan has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and I was really happy to get early access to an e-copy of her latest, Lady Sunshine. As someone who has read both of her earlier books multiple times I was a little nervous that this one wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it did, and then some. I think it might now be my favorite of the 3.
It's a stunner of a book, and I don't just mean the gorgeous 1970's-inspired cover. Mason-Doan has a way of teasing out de ...more
It's a stunner of a book, and I don't just mean the gorgeous 1970's-inspired cover. Mason-Doan has a way of teasing out de ...more
AMAZING BOOK ALERT!!
I have loved Amy Mason Doan’s previous books and Lady Sunshine was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I LOVED this book!! I actually went into this one with no idea what it was about. All I knew was that it was a book of Amy’s and that meant it was an auto read for me. The story takes place over two summers twenty years apart. Both time periods were exceptionally written and the characters were complex and engaging. I was hooked from the first chapter and the myst ...more
I have loved Amy Mason Doan’s previous books and Lady Sunshine was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I LOVED this book!! I actually went into this one with no idea what it was about. All I knew was that it was a book of Amy’s and that meant it was an auto read for me. The story takes place over two summers twenty years apart. Both time periods were exceptionally written and the characters were complex and engaging. I was hooked from the first chapter and the myst ...more
This was such a perfect summer listen, there’s family drama, a mysterious element, a free spirited beachy setting and lots of drama. There’s a dazzling and magical quality here that was conveyed perfectly by the narrator
What a beautifully written book.
I am a huge fan of Amy Mason Doan and if you know me well, I’m a huge hippie at heart. This book had all the bohemian feels and reminded me of my summers spent visiting my cousin in Santa Cruz. Riding our bikes to the store, taking the bus to the beach, being young and just living life! I loved Lady Sunshine and it’s the perfect summer read to take you back to summers of your youth. ☀️
Jackie is looking forward to her summer on the California coast. She’s never met her Uncle or her Cousin but 10 ...more
Jackie is looking forward to her summer on the California coast. She’s never met her Uncle or her Cousin but 10 ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| That ending! | 4 | 11 | Aug 13, 2021 01:53PM | |
| Huntsville-Madiso...: Hoopla Pick - July 7 - Lady Sunshine | 1 | 8 | Jul 07, 2021 07:40AM |
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Bestselling author of LADY SUNSHINE, THE SUMMER LIST and SUMMER HOURS, out now.
"Doan's characters leap off the page," says Publishers Weekly. "Sure to please fans of Kristin Hannah and Elin Hilderbrand" -- Library Journal.
I grew up in California and now live in Portland, Oregon with my family, so I consider both states home.
As a writer for publications including The Oregonian, San Francisco Chron ...more
"Doan's characters leap off the page," says Publishers Weekly. "Sure to please fans of Kristin Hannah and Elin Hilderbrand" -- Library Journal.
I grew up in California and now live in Portland, Oregon with my family, so I consider both states home.
As a writer for publications including The Oregonian, San Francisco Chron ...more
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“As an adult, Jackie discovers a startling clue buried in her uncle’s lyrics—and realizes that she may be wrong about what happened that summer long ago.”
—
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“And how can you explain these lyrics? They’re about what she did with the shells!”
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