Lady Sunshine - by Amy Mason Doan (Paperback)

About the Book

"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 living, Jackie and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship, testing their limits along the rocky beach and in the wild woods ... until the summer abruptly ended in tragedy, and Willa silently slipped away into the night. Twenty years later, Jackie unexpectedly inherits The Sandcastle and returns to the iconic estate for a short visit to ready it for sale. But she reluctantly extends her stay when she learns that, before her death, her estranged aunt had promised an up-and-coming producer he could record a tribute album to her late uncle at the property's studio. As her musical guests bring the place to life again with their sun-drenched beach days and late-night bonfires, Jackie begins to notice startling parallels to that summer long ago. And when a piece of the past resurfaces and sparks new questions about Willa's disappearance, Jackie must discover if the dark secret she's kept ever since is even the truth at all"--

Book Synopsis

"A delicious daydream of a book." --Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of 28 Summers

"With lyrical writing and a page-turning plot, this sun-dappled book has it all: heart, smarts, and an irresistible musical beat." --Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party

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 living, Jackie and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship, testing their limits along the rocky beach and in the wild woods... until the summer abruptly ended in tragedy, and Willa silently slipped away into the night.

Twenty years later, Jackie unexpectedly inherits The Sandcastle and returns to the iconic estate for a short visit to ready it for sale. But she reluctantly extends her stay when she learns that, before her death, her estranged aunt had promised an up-and-coming producer he could record a tribute album to her late uncle at the property's studio. As her musical guests bring the place to life again with their sun-drenched beach days and late-night bonfires, Jackie begins to notice startling parallels to that summer long ago. And when a piece of the past resurfaces and sparks new questions about Willa's disappearance, Jackie must discover if the dark secret she's kept ever since is even the truth at all.

"An engrossing tale of secrets, memory, music, and the people and places you can never outrun. A fantastic summer read."
--Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

"This book is gorgeous. A gold-drenched, nostalgic dream with a fierce female friendship at its heart."
--Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of I'll Be Your Blue Sky

Review Quotes

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR LADY SUNSHINE

"Amy Mason Doan creates a whole world and mood with her exquisitely crafted novel, Lady Sunshine. It's replete with late-'70s nostalgia, and Doan masterfully renders the lives of musicians and those who are drawn to them, no matter the price. A delicious daydream of a book."
--Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of 28 Summers

"Fans of Crossing California and Daisy Jones and the Six will be enamored with the world of Lady Sunshine."
--Booklist

"This gorgeous book is part gold-drenched, nostalgic dream, part ingeniously spun mystery, but what I love best is the female friendship at its heart. Loyal, loving, and fiercely true to each other, Jackie and Willa will remind you of the times in your life when friendship was everything, when two girls together could make an entire world."
--Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of I'll Be Your Blue Sky

"With a winning combination of lyrical writing and a page-turning plot, Amy Mason Doan chronicles the evolution and mysterious demise of the friendship between two young women at the California estate-cum-commune of a renowned musician. A tone-perfect evocation of the free-spirited late 1970s and a riveting coming-of-age story, Lady Sunshine captures the highs of artistic creation, the dangers of hero worship, and the costs of trying to outrun your past. This sun-dappled book has it all: heart, smarts, and an irresistible musical beat."
--Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party

"In Lady Sunshine, Amy Mason Doan has crafted an engrossing tale of secrets, memory, music, and the people and places you can never outrun. This novel will transport you to the '70s and summertime magic and a long-overdue reckoning. A fantastic summer read."
--Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

"Amy Mason Doan dazzles in this epic story of a family torn apart by secrets. Haunting and vivid, with layered, complex characters and a setting that sparkles with detail, Lady Sunshine will stay with me for a long time."
--Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

"Lady Sunshine is shot through with free love, hope, and all the magic of the '70s, but under the sun and music lie dark secrets. It's a thrilling ride, a beautiful evocation of an era, and a story that will keep readers entranced from the first page to the last."
--Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder

"Amy Mason Doan offers a refreshing story about music, family secrets and forgiveness...Jumping between 1979 and 1999, Lady Sunshine unfolds with an artful combination of lyrical writing and twisting plot."
--BookPage

"From inspiration to publication, music and nostalgia make Lady Sunshine a feel-good book."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"Doan has created a classic summer read in Lady Sunshine."
--The Oregonian