The California Dreamers

Nostalgic, captivating, and thought provoking. Not everyone grows up behind a white picket fence. Some grow up in very unconventional ways. The sea, the sand, the waves and the van, are what the Merrick family called home. I thought Amy Mason Doan did a tremendous job of capturing the beachy surfer vibe of California in the 1980’s. The surf, the way sunlight glitters on the waves, the sand between your toes, the freedom of being in nature, and riding the waves is captured beautifully. I can almost smell the salt in the air!

The Merrick family was not your average family. They traveled the coast, surfing, living, and surviving. They became celebrities of sort when a photograph is published. Years later the siblings will gather to say goodbye to their recently deceased father, but they will not be alone. They will be joined by a journalist who wants to know about them and the famous photograph.

I enjoyed wondering what it would be like to live life as the Merrick family did. Traveling in a van, sleeping in the van and/or on the ground. What would it be like not to attend a traditional school? What would it be like to not put down roots but to travel here and there up and down the coast? What would it be like to be the only female sibling? What makes a home- is it where you sleep or who is in your life? Does how one is raised affect the rest of an individual’s life? How do you ever go home if you never had one? The author tackles these questions sand then some.

This plot ebbs and flows like the waves of the ocean. We are shown glimpses in not only the past when the siblings are younger but also in the present day as the siblings come together for their father’s final send off. This was a captivating and thought provoking coming of age story about Ronan who left her van living nomadic family at 17 and returns when one of her brothers informs her of their father’s passing.

This is a book about family, secrets, identity, love of nature, choices, unconventional lifestyles, and relationships. I found this book to wonderfully written, well thought out, and thought provoking. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end to learn what motivated the author to write this riveting book.