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Sunshine Girl

By: Julianna Margulies
Narrated by: Julianna Margulies
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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 listeners say about Sunshine Girl

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Loved Julianna’s story of her life growing up

I liked how Julianna was so honest and truthful in the way she told her life story. I also love how Julianna changed her voice in certain parts to show where other people were talking.
Julianna is someone I look up to, I have followed her career from her ER days all the way through until now.
What an amazing story and very well written. Thank you for sharing your struggles and triumphant moments in your life, and to come out at the end, being grateful for everything you have experienced. What a wonderful woman.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Don’t have to be a megafan - its a really interesting life to listen to

I just found it fascinating to hear about her hippy upbringing and her life in New York. The more audiobook biographies i listen to the more i realise i don’t have to be their biggest fan, its interesting enough to hear their recognisable voice telling their life stories. I feel now like a collector of stories, each one giving me a new perspective on the world.

(Although i did google who her toxic long term boyfriend was and realised it was likely Ron Eldard whom i had the biggest crush on back then! ) i tried to imagine what i was doing when the first season of ER came out. I cant believe it was filmed in LA not Chicago! The magic of hollywood aye

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Unexpected gem

I didn't really have any expectations. I knew that JM is a good actress. I'm also Jewish and wanted to hear her story. I only ever watched her in Good wife and I ll never forget her pale face in the beginning when she is standing next to her character s husband. This book is outstanding. Her story is unusual and huge part is her excellent reading which I enjoyed enormously.

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  • Overall
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As strong as the characters she plays

When I was 12, Carol Hathaway was my favorite character in E.R. I loved how natural and strong she was. In some ways I found these qualities in the other roles Julianna played, including Alicia Florrick. I don't spend much time on TV or usually don't read autobiographies but for whatever reasons, I got the audiobook and listened to it in a day, unable to stop! What an absolute delight! Beautifuly written and narrated by the author herself. It felt nice to discover the strong woman playing these characters. I loved the honnesty, humility and humour. I was touched, captivated and had a good laugh! Thank you!

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Loved every moment

In an age where we watch so much television, and view actors creating memorable characters, the chance to hear about the life of the person behind those characters that have impacted my own life, is a double blessing. As a nurse I appreciated that ER acknowledged nurses more than other medical dramas of the time, and later watching the same actor portray an equally strong woman who has aged alongside me, I truly cherished hearing about the person who brought those characters and stories to life.

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Raw, real and beautiful

Read with a clarity that comes from reflecting on such a kaleidoscopic life, Julianna Margulies' story was compelling, raw and - for me, across the world - relatable. Absolutely loved this and highly recommend.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Some parts not very believable…

I used to love Julianna Margulies. But I really feel she did Ron Eldard dirty in this book, and it ruined it for me.

A lot of the content is really interesting, well-delivered and heart-rending. Some, however, is completely superfluous to the story, as if she wants to get the word count up.

There’s also an awful lot of name-checking (of non-celebs); clearly she wants them all to know how wonderful they are - but it is often just a list of people she loves (or doesn’t love, such as Eldard and Steven Seagal) and has no bearing on the actual story,

Love listening to her; she’s very engaging and has interesting opinions and a positive outlook. I just didn’t find some parts of the story as believable as others seem to have.

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