The Golden State: A Novel
Sep 2018 · Macmillan + ORM
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2 reviews
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292
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About this ebook
NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION 5 UNDER 35 PICK. FINALIST FOR THE VCU CABELL FIRST NOVELIST AWARD. LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION'S FIRST NOVEL PRIZE.
Named one of the Best Books of 2018 by NPR, Bookforum and Bustle. One of Entertainment Weekly's 10 Best Debut Novels of 2018. An Amazon Best Book of the Month and named a fall read by Buzzfeed, Nylon, Entertainment Weekly, Elle, Vanity Fair, Vulture, Refinery29 and Mind Body Green
A gorgeous, raw debut novel about a young woman braving the ups and downs of motherhood in a fractured America
In Lydia Kiesling's razor-sharp debut novel, The Golden State, we accompany Daphne, a young mother on the edge of a breakdown, as she flees her sensible but strained life in San Francisco for the high desert of Altavista with her toddler, Honey. Bucking under the weight of being a single parent—her Turkish husband is unable to return to the United States because of a "processing error"—Daphne takes refuge in a mobile home left to her by her grandparents in hopes that the quiet will bring clarity.
But clarity proves elusive. Over the next ten days Daphne is anxious, she behaves a little erratically, she drinks too much. She wanders the town looking for anyone and anything to punctuate the long hours alone with the baby. Among others, she meets Cindy, a neighbor who is active in a secessionist movement, and befriends the elderly Alice, who has traveled to Altavista as she approaches the end of her life. When her relationships with these women culminate in a dangerous standoff, Daphne must reconcile her inner narrative with the reality of a deeply divided world.
Keenly observed, bristling with humor, and set against the beauty of a little-known part of California, The Golden State is about class and cultural breakdowns, and desperate attempts to bridge old and new worlds. But more than anything, it is about motherhood: its voracious worry, frequent tedium, and enthralling, wondrous love.
Named one of the Best Books of 2018 by NPR, Bookforum and Bustle. One of Entertainment Weekly's 10 Best Debut Novels of 2018. An Amazon Best Book of the Month and named a fall read by Buzzfeed, Nylon, Entertainment Weekly, Elle, Vanity Fair, Vulture, Refinery29 and Mind Body Green
A gorgeous, raw debut novel about a young woman braving the ups and downs of motherhood in a fractured America
In Lydia Kiesling's razor-sharp debut novel, The Golden State, we accompany Daphne, a young mother on the edge of a breakdown, as she flees her sensible but strained life in San Francisco for the high desert of Altavista with her toddler, Honey. Bucking under the weight of being a single parent—her Turkish husband is unable to return to the United States because of a "processing error"—Daphne takes refuge in a mobile home left to her by her grandparents in hopes that the quiet will bring clarity.
But clarity proves elusive. Over the next ten days Daphne is anxious, she behaves a little erratically, she drinks too much. She wanders the town looking for anyone and anything to punctuate the long hours alone with the baby. Among others, she meets Cindy, a neighbor who is active in a secessionist movement, and befriends the elderly Alice, who has traveled to Altavista as she approaches the end of her life. When her relationships with these women culminate in a dangerous standoff, Daphne must reconcile her inner narrative with the reality of a deeply divided world.
Keenly observed, bristling with humor, and set against the beauty of a little-known part of California, The Golden State is about class and cultural breakdowns, and desperate attempts to bridge old and new worlds. But more than anything, it is about motherhood: its voracious worry, frequent tedium, and enthralling, wondrous love.
NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION 5 UNDER 35 PICK. FINALIST FOR THE VCU CABELL FIRST NOVELIST AWARD. LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION'S FIRST NOVEL PRIZE.
Named one of the Best Books of 2018 by NPR, Bookforum and Bustle. One of Entertainment Weekly's 10 Best Debut Novels of 2018. An Amazon Best Book...
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Ratings and reviews
2 reviews
Amy Scherbarth
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March 19, 2019
disappointing.... the author doesn't seem to recognize commas, and there are so many run on sentences that I couldn't focus on the story because i kept noticing grammar issues! Also, the things the main character is obsessing about the whole book are not resolved when the book ends, which is very unsatisfying. We also don't get any insight into whether Alice wanted to do (as the inside of the book cover says) or if it was accident. Overall, I would not recommend.
A Google user
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September 7, 2018
3.5 Stars Review by Amy Late Night Reviewer Up All Night w/ Books Blog I was so excited to read The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling. I have been a Golden State girl my whole life and enjoy reading about regions that I am familiar with. The premise of the story was drawing, as I’m sure everyone at some time or another has envisioned running away from daily stresses and hiding out for a while. That is exactly what Daphne does when she leaves bustling San Francisco to lay low in Altavista, California in her grandparent’s mobile home. She runs into some who remember her family, and others who are just passing through, building relationships along the way and struggling to figure out her next step. I enjoyed the broad concept of this story, and there were parts of the book I thoroughly appreciated. The writing style was a bit wandering at times and tended to move a bit slow for my preference. Kiesling’s descriptions were in depth and well expressed. I felt as though I was with her on the journey. There was a lack of connection with Daphne for me, even though I felt I could totally relate to her circumstances, for some reason I cannot place I just did not build a deep affinity for her personality or character. Overall a well written literary fiction read that took a deep look at small town California and the pressures of taking on a single mom role in this day and age.
About the author
Lydia Kiesling's debut novel, The Golden State, was a finalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Prize and longlisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. Her essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The Cut, Slate, and The New Yorker online, and have been recognized in The Best American Essays 2016. In 2018 the was named a 5 Under 35 by the National Book Foundation. Kiesling lives in Portland with her family.
Lydia Kiesling's debut novel, The Golden State, was a finalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Prize and longlisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. Her essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The Cut, Slate, and The New Yorker online, and...
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