There's this idea of an off-the-grid sort of life: traveling anywhere, living in a van, and being able to pick up and chase the sun and the waves. When I think about a life like this, it's dreamy and romantic, but I hate sand and worry too much.
The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan is the story of a family who lives off-the-grid. The Merrick's are chasing waves and freedom. The four children, Griffin, Magnus, Ronan, and Dyll, are educated by their parents and by life. Every morning starts with exercise and the days are spent surfing. They live in a retired food truck, fully rigged up with bunks. Their 1980s dream life was destroyed the minute that a photographer secretly captured a photo of the wild and free family with their surfboards in the sand.
Moving forward in time, in 2002, Ava LeClair lives on a lavender farm with her twin sons. When she finds a coin on her birdbath, she knows everything is changing again. Ava is Ronon, and she has escaped the van and her family. Her older brother is on the farm to bring her back to her family because their beloved father, Cap, has died. Ronan travels with her brother to a remote island for one last request from Cap.
When a journalist is allowed access to the family, all of the siblings must reconcile the truth about their lives and the truth about the future.
Amy Mason Doan was influenced by the first family of surfing, the Paskowitz family. While the father in that family was open and honest about his origins, adding the mystery of Cap and Mama's beginning helped move this story along. I found the writing descriptive and lush. It was easy to smell the lavender of the farm, to feel the sun on your face, to feel the pain of a life full of questions.
The California Dreamers is the story of a family full of dreams and ideals. Whether these ideas are good is up to you, but the idea of family is universal.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.