Nonfiction

Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life

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Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
Create Date：2021-05-04 11:31:03
Update Date：2025-09-06
Status：finish
Author：Julianna Margulies
ISBN：B08FZM9WB2
Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Sacha ， 2021-05-03 00:00

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 I’ll post that review upon publication。

Nikki ， 2021-05-03 00:00

Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by Julianna MarguliesPublisher: Random House Publishing Group - BallantineGenre: Biographies & MemoirsPublication Date: May 4， 2021 I do not typically read biographies， but I was very curious about this one because of how much I loved ER and The Good Wife。I'm so glad I chose to read this！ I was immediately capitated by the author's story。 She wrote the book as if she was telling you her story over a cup of coffee。 And because I grew up listening to her voice， I Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by Julianna MarguliesPublisher: Random House Publishing Group - BallantineGenre: Biographies & MemoirsPublication Date: May 4， 2021 I do not typically read biographies， but I was very curious about this one because of how much I loved ER and The Good Wife。I'm so glad I chose to read this！ I was immediately capitated by the author's story。 She wrote the book as if she was telling you her story over a cup of coffee。 And because I grew up listening to her voice， I felt as if she was speaking directly to me！Aside from her interesting life， I found the life lessons and wisdom the author shares to be what resonated most with me。 This was beautifully written and captivating。 I loved this book so much that I bought a copy for my mom for Mother's Day！ I'm so grateful to Julianna Margulies， Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review。。。。more

Aliza Ahmad ， 2021-04-28 00:00

10/10。 It is a beautifully written book and you will enjoy it even if you aren’t familiar with her work。 Throughout the book I felt like I was there with her。 She described everything so clearly and with so much honesty。 It made me laugh， made me cry， made me angry。 And I just have to say that I love her even more now。 She is so much more than an actress。 She’s a beautiful human being， a devoted wife and mother， and a loyal friend。 This is the most amazing memoir I have ever read。 So perfect and 10/10。 It is a beautifully written book and you will enjoy it even if you aren’t familiar with her work。 Throughout the book I felt like I was there with her。 She described everything so clearly and with so much honesty。 It made me laugh， made me cry， made me angry。 And I just have to say that I love her even more now。 She is so much more than an actress。 She’s a beautiful human being， a devoted wife and mother， and a loyal friend。 This is the most amazing memoir I have ever read。 So perfect and honest。。。。more

Wendy'sThoughts ， 2021-04-27 00:00

3。5 Loved From The Start Stars* * * 1/2 Spoiler FreeJulianne Margulies captivated my heart and interest from the first time I saw her on television。 I may have seen her before her ER role but it was her embodying Nurse Carol Hathaway that caught me。 The way she made that person three-dimensional and made me care about her is something I will never forget。 This talented actress has done other roles that made an impression on me， including The Good Wife and in a little-known film， A Price Above Ru 3。5 Loved From The Start Stars* * * 1/2 Spoiler FreeJulianne Margulies captivated my heart and interest from the first time I saw her on television。 I may have seen her before her ER role but it was her embodying Nurse Carol Hathaway that caught me。 The way she made that person three-dimensional and made me care about her is something I will never forget。 This talented actress has done other roles that made an impression on me， including The Good Wife and in a little-known film， A Price Above Rubies。 This book talks about how she became who she is， her relationships， and other impactful moments。 Unfortunately， there isn't a lot of "insider" information， but that is ok。 Julianne is enough。https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。A gifted copy was provided by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine via NetGalley for an honest review。For more Reviews， Free E-books and Giveaways 。。。more

Mary Klinkowsky ， 2021-04-22 00:00

First off thank you NetGalley for the ARC。 I found the book to be a quick read but always interesting; the memoir starts off with the preface dropping smack dab in the first episode of The Good Wife she had me）， starting with the first chapter she details the history of her parents and grandparents， there are portions of the book that are printed stories that she loves， then there is a chapter devoted to female lawyers （most notably her grandmother）。 When she gets going into her life with her pe First off thank you NetGalley for the ARC。 I found the book to be a quick read but always interesting; the memoir starts off with the preface dropping smack dab in the first episode of The Good Wife she had me）， starting with the first chapter she details the history of her parents and grandparents， there are portions of the book that are printed stories that she loves， then there is a chapter devoted to female lawyers （most notably her grandmother）。 When she gets going into her life with her personal exits good， not great it sometimes feels like she’s holding back。 When discussing ER and The Good Wife which took up 15 years of her life it feels more like Cliffs Notes。 She’s had a long career and she has to have some stories， I don’t mean dirt or gossip， there were glimpses with her relationship with Tom Fontana and the wonderful kind dentist who became a friend and confidante， more of that would have made the book more interesting， in my opinion。。。。more

Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer ， 2021-04-21 00:00

I religiously watched ER from beginning to end and watched the first few years of The Good Wife， so when I saw Julianna Margulies had written a memoir—and it was garnering glowing early reviews—I requested it from Netgalley。 I like a good memoir that gives the reader a glimpse into someone’s thoughts or one that turns introspective， and Margulies has achieved that in Sunshine Girl。But while I enjoyed the first half of this book that’s more coming-of-age and about being shuffled from country to c I religiously watched ER from beginning to end and watched the first few years of The Good Wife， so when I saw Julianna Margulies had written a memoir—and it was garnering glowing early reviews—I requested it from Netgalley。 I like a good memoir that gives the reader a glimpse into someone’s thoughts or one that turns introspective， and Margulies has achieved that in Sunshine Girl。But while I enjoyed the first half of this book that’s more coming-of-age and about being shuffled from country to country between her divorced parents， the second half of the book that focuses more on her journey into acting was not as strong。 She only briefly mentions her roles， not really discussing any behind the scenes experiences。 And I wasn’t necessarily expecting any gossip about co-stars， but I would have liked more just about the process of making a hit television series。 She did speak at length about how exhausting and challenging the unrelenting schedule can be， but it’s hard to muster much sympathy when an actor’s life is so far removed from most people’s day to day lives。 Although， I did appreciate—and agree with—her discussion of how the media focuses on the struggle female actors have with working and motherhood， but never presents the same questions to male actors about fatherhood。If you have always wondered why she turned down a very lucrative offer to remain with ER for another two years， she does （somewhat reluctantly） provide a satisfying explanation。What Margulies does well is discuss her personal relationships。 She’s honest and forthcoming about her struggles with her parents， her close relationship with her sisters， her friendships， and even a toxic decade-long relationship with a fellow actor。 She doesn’t include their name， but it’s not hard to figure out who it is。 She allows the reader to explore how the challenges in her life shaped who she became， and there’s plenty for readers to be inspired by。 I believe the final version will include photos from throughout her life， but I was disappointed to discover they weren’t included in the advanced copy。 I was able to satisfy my curiosity by perusing her Instagram and IMDB page， though。 Photos always make a good memoir even better。If you’re a reader who enjoys interesting factoids about celebrities （her father wrote the jingle “Plop， plop， fizz， fizz， oh what a relief it is”） or a person’s struggle to define themselves after a challenging childhood， you’ll probably enjoy this well-written memoir。Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy。Check out my review at A Book Wanderer 。。。more

Tera Slawson ， 2021-04-11 00:00

I have never seen an episode of The Good Wife， I am sure it is a great show and maybe one day。 What I did watch and the reason I jumped at the chance to read this book was ER！ I have seen almost all of the show and this was before DVR’s， and when I was young and working nights and going to school for most of the run。 I was really interested in why she turned down that $27Million dollar offer to do two more seasons。 And she answers that question to my satisfaction。（Gif）What was surprising about I have never seen an episode of The Good Wife， I am sure it is a great show and maybe one day。 What I did watch and the reason I jumped at the chance to read this book was ER！ I have seen almost all of the show and this was before DVR’s， and when I was young and working nights and going to school for most of the run。 I was really interested in why she turned down that $27Million dollar offer to do two more seasons。 And she answers that question to my satisfaction。（Gif）What was surprising about this book is that， while the book does cover some of her acting career，50% covers her childhood and teen years。 And honestly that was the most interesting part for me。 Not that her adult life and acting is not interesting， it really is， but this is more about how her childhood and adolescence shaped the woman she is now。 And I found that super fascinating。 While the chaos of her childhood was hard for her， she never comes out and says “poor me”。 Upfront she states she always felt loved and protected， but we all have some brokenness and this is her exploration on how that worked into the woman， wife and mother she is now。 It’s great。 I judge memoirs on one thing mostly， and that is if I feel the person is being truthful and not full of crap。 I think Juliana Margulies is being really forthright in this book。 She admits to mistakes and how they bit her in the ass later。 She takes responsibility for her part in all situations。 And she tells her story no matter how it makes anyone else look bad， her mother even gave her permission to be honest。 I am so glad that I requested this as an ARC from Netgalley， otherwise I am not sure when I would have gotten to it or gotten to it at all。 It’s really fantastic。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book。。。。more

Vonda ， 2021-04-11 00:00

Give me an interesting memoir and I’m in my happy place。 I love reading about other people’s lives。 I knew very little about Julianna Marguiles’ life before reading this book。 I had seen her on a rare occasion on the TV show ER several decades ago， but I don’t watch much television and don’t closely follow the lives of actors and actresses。Julianna lived a somewhat tumultuous upbringing with the divorce of her parents and many moves back and forth between Europe and the United States。 Growing up Give me an interesting memoir and I’m in my happy place。 I love reading about other people’s lives。 I knew very little about Julianna Marguiles’ life before reading this book。 I had seen her on a rare occasion on the TV show ER several decades ago， but I don’t watch much television and don’t closely follow the lives of actors and actresses。Julianna lived a somewhat tumultuous upbringing with the divorce of her parents and many moves back and forth between Europe and the United States。 Growing up， Julianna felt a responsibility to make everyone happy。 Her mom called her “Sunshine Girl”。 She didn’t want to cause any drama and she didn’t want to make her dad unhappy when she had so little time with him。 She is not the typical last born child， laid back and somewhat spoiled。 Rather， she became a highly responsible， orderly， type A person。 She was a loyal friend who put others before herself， intentionally embodying the opposite of some of her mother‘s qualities （flighty， noncommittal， and disorderly）。 Both of her parents were intelligent and intellectual creatives。 Julianna was like them in that regard。 I loved reading that she chose to follow her dreams and what brought her joy rather than follow money。 She had a particularly poignant conversation with her father when she was offered a huge sum of money to renew her contract with ER。 She felt her heart pulling her in another direction。 After she decided to leave ER， one day she saw the ladies from The View TV show criticizing her decision on air。 She was upset by this， but her wise father set her at ease， “Well， honey， you turned down the American dream。 What upsets them is that you made a decision they would never have made and that makes people angry; it throws your choice back on them。 How dare you not think that money is all that matters， how dare you choose differently？ This is just their own baggage， it actually has nothing to do with you。” Man ain’t that the obvious truth。 It isn’t fun to be criticized， but looking at the source from which the criticism comes makes all the difference in the world。 I felt sorrow on Julianna’s behalf seeing how she felt she wasn’t good enough。 I’m sure much of that stemmed from her tumultuous upbringing and a long， unhealthy and damaging relationship she was in。 Eventually， through the love of her friends and family and later her husband， she recovered her value and dignity。。Julianna shares that as an adult she has had some touching confrontations and resolutions with her parents。 I’m glad that she found resolution with them。 I found myself rooting for happiness and good things in her life。 Good things came。 The gratitude she has for life and the good that has come have certainly kept her grounded in the midst of her fame。 I really enjoyed reading Sunshine Girl。I received an arc copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion。。。。more

Andrea ， 2021-04-10 00:00

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy。 I’ve always liked Julianna from ER and The Good Wife。 It was interesting to read about her travels and her upbringing abroad。 I would have loved more memories and insight about her tv shows， as that is what most people know her from; but all in all， it was a good read。

Danielle ， 2021-04-05 00:00

I grabbed a galley of this book not even sure if I was that interested in reading it， but I'm really glad I did。 Julianna Margulies had a fascinating and kind of crazy childhood I knew nothing about。 She also is really good at writing about it。 I finished this book in one sitting because I was enjoying it so much。 It's one of the best celebrity memoirs I've read in a long time， though it's nothing like the more comical ones that have become so popular in recent years。 This one actually feels lik I grabbed a galley of this book not even sure if I was that interested in reading it， but I'm really glad I did。 Julianna Margulies had a fascinating and kind of crazy childhood I knew nothing about。 She also is really good at writing about it。 I finished this book in one sitting because I was enjoying it so much。 It's one of the best celebrity memoirs I've read in a long time， though it's nothing like the more comical ones that have become so popular in recent years。 This one actually feels like it has real substance to it。。。。more

Tonya ， 2021-04-05 00:00

What a pleasure to read！ I already enjoyed Julianna Margulies' work， but reading her book 'Sunshine Girl' is like sitting down with a friend over coffee and catching up。 While some celebrity bios are "tell-all" things with sensational bits that make up for lack of really getting to know the author， this one is the opposite。 Margulies talks about her relationship with her parents in a bare， unflinching way that a lot of us can relate to。 She doesn't sugar coat how her parents' divorce affected he What a pleasure to read！ I already enjoyed Julianna Margulies' work， but reading her book 'Sunshine Girl' is like sitting down with a friend over coffee and catching up。 While some celebrity bios are "tell-all" things with sensational bits that make up for lack of really getting to know the author， this one is the opposite。 Margulies talks about her relationship with her parents in a bare， unflinching way that a lot of us can relate to。 She doesn't sugar coat how her parents' divorce affected her， and the way she handled relationships later in life as a result。 But the book is not a downer - I loved reading about her path as an actor， and details of the shows we've come to know her from。 I highly recommend this book！。。。more

Elaine ， 2021-04-04 00:00

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Sunshine Girl。ER was one of my favorite shows of the late 90s and Julianna Margulies' Carol Hathaway was my favorite character， besides George Clooney's Doug Ross。When Doug Ross was written off， I continued to watch just for Julianna Margulies until her character arc was completed。 Sunshine Girl was an easy to read memoir with insight into the experiences that shaped the actress as a daughter， sister， friend， woman， mother， and wife。I was fascinated by Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Sunshine Girl。ER was one of my favorite shows of the late 90s and Julianna Margulies' Carol Hathaway was my favorite character， besides George Clooney's Doug Ross。When Doug Ross was written off， I continued to watch just for Julianna Margulies until her character arc was completed。 Sunshine Girl was an easy to read memoir with insight into the experiences that shaped the actress as a daughter， sister， friend， woman， mother， and wife。I was fascinated by her travels， the people she met who would eventually become lifelong friends and the moment she realized she wanted to be an actress was a fascinating turning point to read about。She also discusses her parents' unconventional parenting， how her mother's behavior influenced her own Type A personality and how she dealt with her father's hands-off approach when she needed his support growing up。Ms。 Margulies is incredibly blessed and lucky to have the family she does， her parents and sisters are incredibly loving and supportive。 She acknowledges that some of her darkest experiences， including a long term relationship with a manipulative man， stemmed from her own lack of self esteem and the resentment she harbored from childhood。She eventually had to learn let her past go， her anger and resentment， and not let it lead her life。 I really related to this part of her story and I loved the Buddhist tale she recounts as the moment she knew she had to heal herself from the inside out。I enjoyed Sunshine Girl and I recommend it to any fan of Ms。 Margulies。。。。more

Bonnie DeMoss ， 2021-04-03 00:00

I received a free copy of this book from Random House via Netgalley。 My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own。Sunshine Girl by Julianna Margulies is her memoir about being a child of divorce， living different lifestyles with her mother and father， and navigating difficult adult relationships。 She is candid about her childhood and her adult relationships。 This takes up a majority of the book。 She spends very little time on her two major roles， Carol Hathaway on ER and Alicia Florrick on I received a free copy of this book from Random House via Netgalley。 My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own。Sunshine Girl by Julianna Margulies is her memoir about being a child of divorce， living different lifestyles with her mother and father， and navigating difficult adult relationships。 She is candid about her childhood and her adult relationships。 This takes up a majority of the book。 She spends very little time on her two major roles， Carol Hathaway on ER and Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife。 Fans who are expecting a lot of interesting stories about these shows and her fellow actors will be disappointed。 Fans of ER and The Good Wife might want to look at the table of contents before spending $14。99 on the Kindle version。 Chapter 12 is about getting the part on ER， and most of Chapter 13 is about leaving ER 6 years later。 George Clooney's name is mentioned 9 times， but 7 of those times are in the story about getting the part in ER， and two mentions are while she's complaining about fans， which I will go further into below。 I could not find any mentions of Anthony Edwards， Sherry Stringfield， or Noah Wyle。 As for The Good Wife， the amazing Christine Baranski is mentioned in one anecdote about a medical problem Margulies was having， but fans of Matt Czuchry and Josh Charles will be disappointed。 I could not find them in the book。 There was one story that completely bugged me because she complains about how embarrassed she was when a group of fans stopped her to talk about her two famous roles。 People watched these shows for years， and are still watching them。 She continues to benefit from these shows。 At least she could treat her fans with respect instead of slamming them in a memoir。 Of course it is her prerogative to write about anything she wants， but fans of ER and The Good Wife might want to decide if it's worth the money， depending on what they hope to get out of the book。As someone who has enjoyed ER and The Good Wife， this fell flat for me。 I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning about Julianna Margulies' childhood and relationships， and very little about her two hit shows。 It honestly left me feeling as if this is someone I would not want to know。 The title is also deceiving。 There's no sunshine in this book。。。。more

Elizabeth ， 2021-04-03 00:00

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review。 This book will be published May 4， 2021。 I like Julianna Marguiles， having watched all episodes of ER and The Good Wife。 This book was interesting and honest。 It starts with her very international upbringing， constantly moving from Europe to the US， and bouncing between her divorced parents。 This actress made it big， but not without struggles and dedication to her craft。 I admire her decision to w Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review。 This book will be published May 4， 2021。 I like Julianna Marguiles， having watched all episodes of ER and The Good Wife。 This book was interesting and honest。 It starts with her very international upbringing， constantly moving from Europe to the US， and bouncing between her divorced parents。 This actress made it big， but not without struggles and dedication to her craft。 I admire her decision to walk away from a $27 million dollar contract extension on ER to pursue a live theater role。 And in the good karma category， her kindness to a rejected agent ultimately led to her meeting her husband。 An enjoyable read。。。。more

Tara ， 2021-04-02 00:00

The moving tale of how a young girl， with split up parents， criss-crossing around the globe， “made it”。 She rose from the uncertainty of why her father “didn’t want her” to being wanted by her fans， husband and child。 Difficult relationships from birth have shaped her into the loveable woman and actress she is today。 #SunshineGirl by #JuliannaMargulies #3422 #101of250 #25for24 #18chapters #368pages #March2021 #COVIDreading #Kindle #NetGalleyARC #ARC #Biography #ClearingOffReadingShelves #WhatsNe The moving tale of how a young girl， with split up parents， criss-crossing around the globe， “made it”。 She rose from the uncertainty of why her father “didn’t want her” to being wanted by her fans， husband and child。 Difficult relationships from birth have shaped her into the loveable woman and actress she is today。 #SunshineGirl by #JuliannaMargulies #3422 #101of250 #25for24 #18chapters #368pages #March2021 #COVIDreading #Kindle #NetGalleyARC #ARC #Biography #ClearingOffReadingShelves #WhatsNext #ReadItQuick #Actress #ER #TheGoodWife 。。。more

Gretchen Rubin ， 2021-03-30 00:00

A page-turning account of the actor's early life， which meant dealing with two very challenging parents。 A page-turning account of the actor's early life， which meant dealing with two very challenging parents。。。。more

Gail O'Connor ， 2021-03-29 00:00

I absolutely adore Julianna Margulies。 I expected to be enthralled with her story。 That didn't happen。 It appeared very flat even when it should have been grabbing the reader。 I woudl have liked to have seen more vitality and energy in its pages。 I absolutely adore Julianna Margulies。 I expected to be enthralled with her story。 That didn't happen。 It appeared very flat even when it should have been grabbing the reader。 I woudl have liked to have seen more vitality and energy in its pages。。。。more

Nancy ， 2021-03-28 00:00

Thank you NetGalley， Julianna Margulies and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC of Sunshine Girl。 This is my personal review。I absolutely loved this book。 It was a wonderful look into the woman I have admired as an actress for many years。It was fascinated to read the life she led and her growing up years。 She was honesty was refreshing and not just about her career。 Reading about her life as an expat was remarkably interesting to me。The title of the book Sunshine Girl - An Une Thank you NetGalley， Julianna Margulies and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC of Sunshine Girl。 This is my personal review。I absolutely loved this book。 It was a wonderful look into the woman I have admired as an actress for many years。It was fascinated to read the life she led and her growing up years。 She was honesty was refreshing and not just about her career。 Reading about her life as an expat was remarkably interesting to me。The title of the book Sunshine Girl - An Unexpected Life is perfect for her autobiography。 I thought I knew her but what I knew was just surface knowledge of her acting career。 I want to thank Julianna Margulies for letting us into her life and sharing it with me。。。。more

Patricia ， 2021-03-27 00:00

I've always liked watching Marguiles on ER and the Goodwife so was extremely disappointed that she glossed over this part of her life。 Particularly， since that's how people know her。 That said， it's an enjoyable read。 Just felt a lot was left out。 I've always liked watching Marguiles on ER and the Goodwife so was extremely disappointed that she glossed over this part of her life。 Particularly， since that's how people know her。 That said， it's an enjoyable read。 Just felt a lot was left out。。。。more

Janilyn Kocher ， 2021-03-26 00:00

Prior to reading her memoir， I had never heard of Margulies and have never seen her in any show or movie。 I found her memoir refreshing， down to earth and without artifice。 She doesn’t cast aspersions like some celebrities。 I loved reading about her shuffling childhood across，the pond and back again， her issues with her parents， and snickered in several spots。 Although other readers will probably interpret the scene a little differently， I thought her interaction with Stephen Seagall with Mayo i Prior to reading her memoir， I had never heard of Margulies and have never seen her in any show or movie。 I found her memoir refreshing， down to earth and without artifice。 She doesn’t cast aspersions like some celebrities。 I loved reading about her shuffling childhood across，the pond and back again， her issues with her parents， and snickered in several spots。 Although other readers will probably interpret the scene a little differently， I thought her interaction with Stephen Seagall with Mayo in her hair quite amusing。 I could relate to many things she spoke: self image， personal relationships。 I enjoyed her book。 Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the early read。。。。more

Tina ， 2021-03-25 00:00

Coming Out TomorrowThis is a Biography Memoir Non-Fiction book which is all about Julianna Margulies who is know for television series The Good Wife and ER。 I love her character in ER， and that is why I really wanted to pick this book up。 I have to say this is not my favorite memoir I have read， but I enjoyed learning more about Julianna's real life。 I did not know she was not set to be full time on ER。 I wish there was more about her time while she was on ER。 I have never watched The Good Coming Out TomorrowThis is a Biography Memoir Non-Fiction book which is all about Julianna Margulies who is know for television series The Good Wife and ER。 I love her character in ER， and that is why I really wanted to pick this book up。 I have to say this is not my favorite memoir I have read， but I enjoyed learning more about Julianna's real life。 I did not know she was not set to be full time on ER。 I wish there was more about her time while she was on ER。 I have never watched The Good Wife。 I have to say there was a darkness underline in this book。 I did not get happiness from this book anytime during reading this book。 I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher （Ballantine Books） or author （Julianna Margulies） via NetGalley， so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book。 I want to send a big Thank you to them for that。 This book is schedule to be release on May 4-2021。。。。more

Patch405 （Shannon Barghols）， 2021-03-23 00:00

I've always had a bit of a crush on Julianna Margulies。 First - she got to kiss George Clooney。 Then - she got to be a BOSS in The Good Wife。 I've always wondered about the woman behind the characters。 I'm sure that actors always struggle to write memoirs - wondering how much detail to include， what stories to tell。 I thought Margulies did a superb job of letting us see her personal life without giving away too many personal memories or boring us to death。 While on one hand， it seemed to be a li I've always had a bit of a crush on Julianna Margulies。 First - she got to kiss George Clooney。 Then - she got to be a BOSS in The Good Wife。 I've always wondered about the woman behind the characters。 I'm sure that actors always struggle to write memoirs - wondering how much detail to include， what stories to tell。 I thought Margulies did a superb job of letting us see her personal life without giving away too many personal memories or boring us to death。 While on one hand， it seemed to be a life of privilege， on the other hand， it seemed chaotic and unstable。 For me， it was an interesting read。。。。more

Heather ， 2021-03-12 00:00

Margulies openly shares her childhood with readers， even the struggles seeing her mother put herself before her children。 If you like her on ER。 The Good Wife or one of her many guest staring roles like Scrubs， you’ll probably like her style here too。

Jim ， 2021-03-09 00:00

In Sunshine Girl， Julianna Margulies writes with an assured voice about her frequently restless childhood and her famed career in TV as Nurse Hathaway and Alicia Florrick。 Fans will undoubtedly appreciate learning more about Margulies’ childhood traipsing through Europe and New England with her flighty mother， but will be most eager to get to the back third of the book for fun behind-the-scenes stories。 I was impressed with Margulies’ debut as an author， and her self-description as a type-A achi In Sunshine Girl， Julianna Margulies writes with an assured voice about her frequently restless childhood and her famed career in TV as Nurse Hathaway and Alicia Florrick。 Fans will undoubtedly appreciate learning more about Margulies’ childhood traipsing through Europe and New England with her flighty mother， but will be most eager to get to the back third of the book for fun behind-the-scenes stories。 I was impressed with Margulies’ debut as an author， and her self-description as a type-A achiever is certainly verified by this well constructed and finely written memoir， but I found myself often questioning the motivations of the book。 Why is Margulies writing this now？ What does she want to say about her life and career？ Clues to the answers to these questions are more easily detected in the chapters that penetrate the parts of her life when she is most successful in her career， and I wished that she dove in deeper there。 Still， Margulies has a clear sense of prose， and the book reads unambiguously which makes it a breezy endeavor， which I think will help readers get a solid sense of her life and character。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the ARC and the opportunity to leave this review。。。。more

Sar Ah Horton ， 2021-03-07 00:00

Life Lessons in Sunshine Sunshine Girl enthralled me from the moment I started reading！ I love biographies， autobiographies， and memoirs; but Margulies’ book brought new meaning to the genre。 It was a beautiful coming of age story that transpired through raw and honest experiences。 I couldn’t get enough。 Having been a fan of Margulies’ since her time on ER and The Mists of Avalon， I was grateful to find out just how relatable she is。 But even if you’re not familiar with her acting， you’ll still Life Lessons in Sunshine Sunshine Girl enthralled me from the moment I started reading！ I love biographies， autobiographies， and memoirs; but Margulies’ book brought new meaning to the genre。 It was a beautiful coming of age story that transpired through raw and honest experiences。 I couldn’t get enough。 Having been a fan of Margulies’ since her time on ER and The Mists of Avalon， I was grateful to find out just how relatable she is。 But even if you’re not familiar with her acting， you’ll still enjoy the journey as it catalogs her life starting from childhood。 And what a childhood it was。 Be sure to put this on your must read list！。。。more

Amy Warren ， 2021-03-06 00:00

Thanks to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC。 I've been a fan of JM since her ER days and was delighted to see she wrote a memoir。 Finished it in one sitting。。。very engaging， JM tells the story of her life， beginning with a childhood filled with several moves between the U。S。 and Europe at the whims of her mercurial， artistic parents and their chaotic lifestyles。 The book articulates a life constantly in motion。 Its easy to see what drew her to a life as an actress， after reading Thanks to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC。 I've been a fan of JM since her ER days and was delighted to see she wrote a memoir。 Finished it in one sitting。。。very engaging， JM tells the story of her life， beginning with a childhood filled with several moves between the U。S。 and Europe at the whims of her mercurial， artistic parents and their chaotic lifestyles。 The book articulates a life constantly in motion。 Its easy to see what drew her to a life as an actress， after reading about the many roles she played in her childhood while fluctuating between the two lives she led with her parents。 Very engaging book， highly recommend。。。。more

Joyce Hamel ， 2021-03-04 00:00

An Unexpected MemoirI will just say it; Sunshine Girl is the best memoir I have read。 And I have been reading and reviewing for decades。It is the best because the actual writing， composition and organization reflects her tireless goal to become more accomplished， to be the best。 Whether it was waitressing， education， interacting with friends or her sisters， she needed to go the extra mile to make something work。Her background is not of the typical Jewish girl， but then I’m not sure what that is， An Unexpected MemoirI will just say it; Sunshine Girl is the best memoir I have read。 And I have been reading and reviewing for decades。It is the best because the actual writing， composition and organization reflects her tireless goal to become more accomplished， to be the best。 Whether it was waitressing， education， interacting with friends or her sisters， she needed to go the extra mile to make something work。Her background is not of the typical Jewish girl， but then I’m not sure what that is， except for the utmost importance of family。 She is bright， sometimes brilliant in her philosophy， and strives to excel as a student， friend or actor。 Ms。 Margulies did not have an easy childhood。 She is the youngest of three girls， her parents were divorced very early in her life and she was shuttled from continent to continent at the whims of her outlandish mother。 Her mother did not resemble a Jewish mother; in fact， she converted to Christianity。 She was always looking to find herself， often at the expense of her daughters。Julianna had to adjust to different schools， make new friends and often live in below standard housing。 Her sweet father did what he could， but he should have done more， but that’s another whole book。 He was a gem， however。 There are few tranquil moments in this autobiography。 The momentum of her writing is a depiction of her hustle。In her quest to attain her goals， she had to adjust to places， schools， and friends but there was always her self-serving mother。 She was often very late， unprepared and had a stream of young men/lovers living at their home。 She was a bright but quirky woman who fulfilled her needs despite the realities that her daughters could not abide。 While Julianna second-guessed herself， her mother never did no matter the situation。When Julianna discovered that acting could be a fit for her， she worked very hard to earn her own money （she always worked） and never faltered in preparation for an audition or a role。 She worked to be the best for herself， and then worked harder。 I cannot imagine how she could remember the intricacies of her childhood。 Her confidence as a mother， wife， student and actor is well-deserved。 Highly recommended。（Missing from this digital book are photographs which would have enhanced this memoir）。My gratitude to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this pre-published advanced copy in an exchange for an honest review。。。。more

Wendy ， 2021-03-04 00:00

Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by actress Julianna Margulies is a well-written autobiography arranged in chronological order for the most part， which I truly appreciate as a reader。 Dubbed “Sunshine Girl” by her mother Francesca because she was always a cheerful baby and young child， Margulies recounts both challenges and opportunities in her life。 The biography focuses largely on her life as a child and an adolescent growing up in a home her father Paul left soon after her birth because of d Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by actress Julianna Margulies is a well-written autobiography arranged in chronological order for the most part， which I truly appreciate as a reader。 Dubbed “Sunshine Girl” by her mother Francesca because she was always a cheerful baby and young child， Margulies recounts both challenges and opportunities in her life。 The biography focuses largely on her life as a child and an adolescent growing up in a home her father Paul left soon after her birth because of differences he had with her mother。 Always present in her life – though just not nearly enough – her father had well-paying jobs in advertising that afforded him the opportunity to provide for higher education for all three of his daughters。Her mother， a trained ballerina， created many difficulties in all their lives， causing Margulies’ oldest sister to move in with Paul during her teen years， leaving just the two younger girls to deal with a complicated situation at home。 Both unreasonable and erratic， Francesca put herself ahead of her daughters and had lots of men coming and going through their household。 The worst was when as a woman in her forties， Francesca took up with a 21-year-old， which caused a great divide between her and Margulies， though they later reconciled。Margulies’ intelligence and strong writing ability are evident throughout her book。 Her drive to be the best she can be at everything she does comes through。 Growing up in an unconventional home in New Hampshire， New York， Paris， and in England， she is fluent in French as well as in English。Mostly thought of for her role as Nurse Hathaway on the television show ER and as attorney Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife， Margulies also has experience on the stage and in film。 Many were surprised when she left ER after her contract expired， leaving millions of dollars on the table。 She explains her choice and still remains confident it was the right one for her at that time。 She accepted the role in The Good Wife because she was able to have it filmed in New York where she lives with her lawyer husband and son。 She does not hesitate to reveal intimate stories about relationships， difficult choices， and rejections， both personal and professional。 Her ability to recall so many events in detail is enviable。 I highly recommend this autobiography for those who enjoy reading about the lives of celebrities。Julianna Margulies is an actress， a producer， and an author。 She published a children’s book in 2016 called Three Magic Balloons， based on a story her father wrote for his three daughters。My review will be posted on Goodreads starting March 4， 2021。 I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review。。。。more

Kayo ， 2021-03-03 00:00

I had been looking forward to this book for months， since I watched author on ER and The Good Wife。 It does not disappoint。 Author seems down to earth， considering her success。 I enjoyed this book！Thanks to author， publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book。 While I got the book for free， it had no bearing on the rating I gave it。

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