The California Dreamers

The California DreamersA group of siblings captured in an iconic beach nostalgia photo reunite on a sunny California island, where they're forced to face the fallout of their unconventional upbringing and the golden secret that has been simmering ever since "A love story to an era of sun, salt air, and freedom. I promise, you will devour this novel." Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight "Doan's latest pulls you straight to the end like a

A group of siblings captured in an iconic beach nostalgia photo reunite on a sunny California island, where they're forced to face the fallout of their unconventional upbringing--and the golden secret that has been simmering ever since...

"A love story to an era of sun, salt air, and freedom. I promise, you will devour this novel." --Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

"Doan's latest pulls you straight to the end like a powerful riptide. Unforgettable!" --Jessica Anya Blau, bestselling author of Mary Jane

It's 1980s California, and everyone's dreaming of the endless summer: sun-drenched beaches, infinite waves, and most of all, beautiful, beautiful freedom. For the Merrick siblings, this idyllic vision is their reality, as they travel up and down the coast with their parents in a van year-round, surfing and swimming their days away. But when a photographer secretly snaps a stunning photo of the family with their boards in the sand, and the image ripples across the country, the only life they've ever known is put at risk.

Decades after, the now-distant siblings gather on a gorgeous, wild island to honor their late father. But their reunion is complicated when a journalist, eager for the truth behind the famous photo, discovers their identity and tracks them down. As the siblings reckon with the possibility that more of their lives could be shared, a revelation about their past forces them to confront long-held heartaches. Together, they'll have to decide whether to let the same tensions rip them apart again--or if telling their story on their own terms might just be the way to recapture the family magic.

Also by Amy Mason Doan:

• Lady Sunshine
• Summer Hours
• The Summer List

Author: Amy Mason Doan
Publisher: Graydon House
Published: 04/08/2025
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.59lbs
Size: 7.91h x 5.35w x 0.89d
ISBN: 9781525804687


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 04/01/2025 pg. 56

About the Author
Doan, Amy Mason: - AMY MASON DOAN is the bestselling author of The Summer List, Summer Hours, Lady Sunshine, and The California Dreamers. She earned a BA in English from UC Berkeley and an MA in journalism from Stanford University, and has written for The Oregonian, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes, among other publications. She grew up in Danville, California, and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.