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Sunshine Girl

An Unexpected Life

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Sunshine Girl

By: Julianna Margulies
Narrated by: Julianna Margulies
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About this listen

 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 readers intrigued and inspired. Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Women Celebrity Entertainment Emotionally Gripping Marriage
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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.

Loved Julianna’s story of her life growing up

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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

Don’t have to be a megafan - its a really interesting life to listen to

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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.

Unexpected gem

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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!

As strong as the characters she plays

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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.

Loved every moment

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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.

Raw, real and beautiful

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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.

Some parts not very believable…

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.