Sunshine Girl

An Unexpected Life

By: Julianna Margulies

Narrated by: Julianna Margulies

Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Good Housekeeping

“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 listeners intrigued and inspired.

©2021 Julianna Margulies (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Over the course of her illustrious career on screen, Julianna Margulies has played any number of unforgettable characters but as this memoir proves, she might be most fascinating as herself.... Not every celebrity autobiography has a truly compelling story to tell, but this one does and tells it with style, humor, and flair.” (Town & Country)

“[A] thought-provoking and revelatory memoir.... Though Margulies’s anecdotes may be outside readers’ own realms of experience, she relates them with such intimacy and candor that readers might recognize in her a kindred spirit.... A deeply reflective narrative that will appeal to both Margulies’s fans and anyone who enjoys a warm and well-crafted memoir.” (Library Journal)

“Margulies...shares her path to stardom in this frank memoir.... Readers looking for salacious Hollywood tales won’t find them here; instead Margulies’s fans and all readers interested in TV careers will enjoy learning her origin story.” (Booklist)

What a Life

Best book I’ve heard in a very long time. I can relate to this woman. I enjoyed her story and learned a great deal about ME. Thanks Julianna.

She is exceptional

I admired her before and now even more so after reading this book. this an easy read it keeps you interested. she is just great.

Incredible, Fun Book!

Loved it! Flew by! Her voice was soothing and her story was incredible. I didn't want it to be over. I was completely thrown into her life and inspired by the decisions she made.

Well Done

As a huge fan of ER I was a bit surprised at how little Julianna wrote about her time on the show yet it makes perfect sense when you remember this is a biography.

Ideally a biography gives the reader/listener a glimpse at what the person went through, how they were influenced and the joys and struggles they endured and this book covers that full on.

Without revealing a spoiler I will say her connection to Mark, her dentist, was a joy to hear. ❤️

Couldn't stop listening !

Loved every minute, identified with her childhood, especially the horse story.
Cried at the end of the book, for the reflections...

Enjoyable

Such an enjoyable listen. She has always seemed the antithesis of the usual “Hollywood” star and now I know why. She is a real person who has never been consumed by the hype. She would be fun to have a coffee or drink with after a yoga class. I am going to order the 3 books she speaks of in her own book.

Sincere, genuine… lovely.

I enjoyed this memoir a lot and am surprised by some of the negative reviews. This book, and listening to Ms. Margulies reading it, felt like sitting down across the table with a cup of coffee and listening to a friend or colleague share their life experiences and interesting stories. It was easy and entertaining. I don’t have to agree with every author or writer’s perspective on life and circumstances to enjoy or benefit from their stories, and I can also appreciate life experiences that differ from my own. I thought Ms Margulies to be very insightful when examining her childhood and the effect it had on her adulthood and the parenting of her son, as well as her examination/contemplation of a relationship that in the end proved to be all wrong and upside down. I was especially impacted by her elephant story and how she applied that to her and her father’s view of life. Really good stuff. I encourage others to take the time to read or listen to this book, and not be put off by the negative reviews.

Good read

I enjoyed this book and thought it was good, but not great. Juliana shared a lot of stories from her life that we're indeed interesting and at times heartfelt, but it still felt too composed. As she did her own narrating as well I kept waiting for there to be more emotion in her story. She is just so articulate that it doesn't feel authentic. I kept waiting for her to let her hair down so to speak which never happened. I still enjoyed the book overall though.

Interesting Story

As a woman who has a few trauma responses from her childhood, some of this book really resonated with me. It’s interesting and captivating. My husband and I listened to the entire book on our drive home from vacation.

Great Book.

I have Loved Julianna Margulies since her first appearance on ER. Carol was my favorite character and still is to this day. Her book is great. Very real. I felt like I was listening to a good friend. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Julianna.