Synopsis:

Known for her outstanding performances on the groundbreaking television series The Good Wife and ER, Julianna Margulies deftly chronicles her life and her work in this deeply powerful memoir.

“At once a tender coming-of-age story and a deeply personal look at a young woman making sense of the world against a chaotic and peripatetic childhood.”–Katie Couric

As an apple-cheeked bubbly child, Julianna was bestowed with the family nickname “Sunshine Girl.” Shuttled back and forth between her divorced parents, often on different continents, she quickly learned how to be of value to her eccentric mother and her absent father. Raised in fairly unconventional ways in various homes in Paris, England, New York, and New Hampshire, Julianna found that her role among the surrounding turmoil and uncertainty was to comfort those around her, seeking organization among the disorder, making her way in the world as a young adult and eventually an award-winning actress.

Throughout, there were complicated relationships, difficult choices, and overwhelming rejections. But there were also the moments where fate, faith, and talent aligned, leading to the unforgettable roles of a lifetime, both professionally and personally–moments when chaos had finally turned to calm.

Filled with intimate stories and revelatory moments, Sunshine Girl is at once unflinchingly honest and perceptive. It is a riveting self-portrait of a woman whose resilience in the face of turmoil will leave readers intrigued and inspired.

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. The opening line had my attention immediately:

“My parents’ marriage was pretty much over by the time I was born.”

Julianna Margulies, 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.