Follow the Sun

By: Liz Locke

Narrated by: Victoria Carr

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

“Locke's novel is a travelog of epic proportions, an enticing love story and an emotionally resonant tale of the empowerment of following one's dreams that is as sleek and chic as an episode of Mad Men.”—Entertainment Weekly

For fans of Jess Walter’s Beautiful Ruins, Follow The Sun paints a portrait of the 1960s International Jet Set Era through the eyes of an aspiring singer-songwriter, desperate to forge her own path in music and in love. Listeners will delight in this sun-drenched trip through a world of fashion, film, and sixties pop culture, written with an emotional, heartbreaking voice reminiscent of Chanel Cleeton.

For socialite Caroline Kimball, travel has become an escape—a way to run from her adult responsibilities while hiding her musical ambitions from her disapproving mother. When she meets handsome magazine photographer Jack “Tex” Fairchild beside a hotel pool in Acapulco, everything changes. His encouragement shows her she could have a life beyond that of a beautiful, bored heiress, and he convinces her that maybe her childish daydreams aren’t so impossible after all.

Realizing she no longer fits inside her golden cage, Caroline leaves it all behind and runs away with Tex to a small Spanish island, where she finally confronts the tragic death of her father. But when her mother's hidden secrets catch up to her, and a ghost from her past makes a surprising reappearance, Caroline will find herself torn between her whirlwind relationship with Tex, pursuing her music career, or saving her family from financial destitution.

Across the stunning beaches of Acapulco and down the powdered ski slopes of Gstaad, Follow the Sun will take listeners from the turquoise waters of Formentera to the Sunset Strip, telling a captivating story about following your dreams to discover the person you were always meant to become.

©2023 Liz Locke (P)2023 Random House Canada

Critic reviews

"Set against dreamy backdrops and swirling with nostalgia, Liz Locke's debut is truly a stunner. It's a story about finding choices when it seems there are none, and chasing dreams that are as daunting as they are alluring. Readers will want to climb into the pages of this book as they are immersed in the world of Follow the Sun."–Annette Christie, author of The Rehearsals and For Twice in My Life.

"Liz Locke's Follow the Sun takes readers into the lushly glamorous world of the '60s Jet Set. Locke writes with the historical resonance of Chanel Cleeton and the lyrical emotionality of Taylor Jenkins Reid, as she takes us from Acapulco to the snowy Alps to a tiny island off the coast of Spain and beyond. Follow the Sun is an arresting, unputdownable tale of what it means to find and honor your truest self, and it's easily my pick for my favorite read of the year! It's as sleek and enticing as a Slim Aarons photo and goes down with the fizzy ease of a perfectly mixed cocktail. Reading Follow the Sun will make readers want to turn up the hi-fi and get lost in the sunset days of the swinging sixties."–Maureen Lee Lenker, author of It Happened One Fight.

“Locke's novel is a travelog of epic proportions, an enticing love story and an emotionally resonant tale of the empowerment of following one's dreams that is as sleek and chic as an episode of Mad Men.”—Entertainment Weekly

Very Enjoyable Read

I really enjoyed the story… I loved the main characters and Al’s parents - backstory. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the original music/songs.

When audiobooks are magic!

The narrator, Victoria Carr, not only reads the book, doing excellent voice work with the many different accents of the jet set, but she made musical arrangements and sings the fictional songs of our main character, Caroline. This is when audiobooks are truly magic.

"Send me a postcard. From Paris or wherever you jet off to. I'd like to know there's a girl like you out there in the world, makin' it all the more beautiful when she sings."

Sigh.
What. A. Book.
If you have ever fantasized about jumping into a Slim Aaron's photograph of the 1960s jet set, or dreamed of traveling to exotic locales where all you have to worry about is suntan lotion and poolside cocktails, this is the escapist historical romance for you.

Liz Locke captures this world in extraordinary, sparkling detail and richness. I love that she features real life locations in her wonderful book. It grounds the story in reality even though the world is one of fantasy to most people. She must have done extensive research because as I was reading I started googling locations and she nailed them! Because of this book there is a new place on my travel bucket list: the Hotel Las Brisas in Acapulco, Mexico.

In this story, Caroline, a member of the jet set due to her late artist father and fashion designer mother, hobnobs with her rich friends and acquaintances, traveling from resort to resort, sometimes seeing her long distance boyfriend, but secretly she writes and plays songs on her ukelele and longs for more. By chance, she meets photographer Jack Fairchild who she nicknames "Tex." She is drawn to him in ways that surprise her. Their romance is electric, endearing, and tender. But can Caroline leave behind the jet set life to be with Tex, while also pursuing her own music career dreams?

With a cast of side characters as well drawn as our two leads, scrumptious period details of places like Acapulco, Gstaad, Formentera, Palm Beach, and Laurel Canyon, and real life names from pop culture history sprinkled throughout, this book is a fun, romantic, inspiring 1960s romp.

I highly, highly recommend this book as the perfect summer beach read.