California’s Girl is the story of a young girl growing up on the beach in Southern California during the 1960s and ’70s. It is told through journal entries, short stories, poetry, and associated recollections.
It begins with an idyllic childhood in a small beach town on the California coast. It details the lifestyle unique to the beach culture. A timeless span of innocence, bursting with the joy of life, surrounded by sand and sea.
Adolescence arrives during an era of rebellion and social upheaval. Through the high school years, lessons are learned, and the complexity of life is examined. Reality begins to erode the fantasies of childhood. The first kiss, the first heartbreak, the loss of innocence, and the emergence of personal identity are seen through the eyes of a young girl.
The beginning of one life’s journey, when choices are made that will ultimately affect the unforeseeable future. A young girl does the best she can, makes mistakes, and savors the triumphs—a microcosm of the human experience.
I’ve never read anything like this before, it’s totally unique. The rawness of a young girl’s mind when laid bare is amazing, to say the least. R.J. Your diary entries are so full of innocence, truth, raw emotion, love and heartache. Anyone who reads your book will relate to it in some way. We all have our stories and experiences, but not too many people take the time to document it. It’s very brave. —S.J.