Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life

Definitely worth a read! No wonder she's such a great actress given the life she had - definitely unexpected!

I really enjoyed it. Recommended it to my daughters. She is a good writer. Interesting.

I’ve loved the roles she played on TV. Strong leading characters who don’t get pushed around. After listening to the author in conversation in a recent virtual event, I was even more drawn to read her book after getting a glimpse into her background. An unconventional childhood – a complicated mother, a father who was not around, a family who moved often, these were some of the forces she was up against. What is unexpected in reading Julianna’s story is how candid and straightforward she is. I haven’t read a first-hand celebrity biography in some time where the author speaks so freely about her struggles, loneliness, and lack of stability in her life, all of which led her to where she is now. Throughout her childhood and early adulthood, she remained resilient and determined, quick to point out that although she had some hardship, there was plenty of goodness too, like the love of her two sisters and soon, the theatre bug and deep friendships she formed. In her early acting days, a relationship with a fellow actor nearly drained the exuberant spirit that defined her. Never one to quit, she persevered in both her craft and evolving love life. It took a lot of soul searching for Julianna to find out what she wanted and it’s clear from her story that her hard work paid off. SUNSHINE GIRL is written in an authentic voice. Whether she is talking about various people who helped her in some way and are still an integral part of her life, the disturbing encounter with actor Steven Seagal, why she walked away from so much money at the height of her career, or her ability to confront her parents later in life, you feel like Julianna is giving you a real sense of who she is and not a fabricated story that might have been written for a role she played.

Beneath the surface of a very good actress , Julianna's story was told from her heart making her even more likable. Her love of family , and of all people in general is paramount in her everyday life . Everything doesn't always go as planned yet she is persistent with her goals . It was a pleasure to read and I look forward to going to see her on Broadway later this year !

I bought this title because I loved ER and The Good Wife and was hoping to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into two of my favorite TV shows. What I got instead was a touching and sensitive account of a young woman's struggle to finally find true happiness after so many early challenges and dead ends. I loved her deep introspection. I loved that fact that she did not blame others for her troubles. I loved her forgiving nature. And I loved her writing. It is so intimate. I feel as though she was confiding in a close friend. I look forward to reading more from her.

I read in the early mornings, so this was akin to meeting a friend and hearing her story, over coffee. She trusts the reader -- I read an earlier comment about the book being " relaxing"; it is. I downloaded it after seeing Juliana on Ina Garten's show. There's no bragging, no Hollywood gossip. Her childhood was out of the box- Paris, England, Bohemian. Despite her parents' split and sophistication, or because of it, she had it tough but at the same time knew she was loved. Given her father's success, it seems he could have helped out the early family more than he did, though I think he paid for most of Sarah Lawrence. Juliana paid most of her own way- no spoiled daughter here. Toward the end, it did strike me that it all was a little Elsie Dinsmore-ish, or long-suffering. It seems her self-involved parents met her core emotional needs.

I appreciate Julianna Margulies as an actress and I saw her on the TV show “Finding your Roots”, so I picked up her memoir out of interest . It may not be the most polished literary work, though for a first book I thought it was well- written and held my attention. The writer’s honesty shines through, as she paints a picture of a very problematic childhood and adolescence, trying to lay down roots where hardly any stability existed. Her mother’s eccentricity and self- centered ness was offset by her obvious love for her children and her father’s semi absence from her life was also balanced with love and financial support. Julianna writes of her finding direction in acting, and writes of her adult relationships with self- criticism. She somehow seemed to meet the people she needed for support in a serendipitous pattern, and many of her friends stayed with her throughout the years. She found mentors to give her advice, when needed, and for the most part, listened and learnt. Those who are looking for inside gossip about her TV roles will be disappointed by this memoir, but those who are interested in hearing what it takes to succeed in a very cut-throat entertainment industry will be rewarded by reading this interesting, honest view from one who has left a fine mark on our screens.

Found her life very interestig

I loved this book.

I had no idea what to expect when I purchased this.book other than I wanted to support the lead in The Good Wife but I'm so happy I did! Her storytelling is so effortless yet structured and hopeful. Thanks for sharing your story, Julianna!

This is an autobiography by Juliana Margulies (1966-), an American actress who has made a name for herself in the U.S. and around the world with her two hit TV series, "ER " and "The Good Wife." Although she often portrays dashing and strong women on TV and in movies, her life has been anything but smooth. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and her mother, who took Juliana and her two elder sisters in, was a wildly romantic woman. She spent her life moving back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, following her divorced father as he changed jobs from France to England to the United States. As she struggles with this unstable life and feels she has nowhere to belong, she becomes absorbed in the theater she encounters at university, and realizes for the first time that it is okay to express her feelings. This is a very moving episode. As a drama fan, I would have liked to see a little more behind-the-scenes footage from "ER" and "The Good Wife," but the descriptions are unexpectedly bland and may leave you feeling disappointed. The main point of this autobiography, however, does not seem to be the details of the production of the drama, but to depict the journey of an American woman who was not blessed with a good family life, and who, despite being in the unstable entertainment industry, was able to make a life for herself and finally find her place in the world through marriage, childbirth, and child rearing. In that sense, the final chapter is a very good story. In this respect, the last chapter was a heart-stirring experience for me. As a Japanese reader, I found it interesting to read the story about how the Zen teachings supported Juliana when she was lost in her life. The English is quite plain. It is a book that even a paperback beginner would be able to read easily. .

One of the best memoirs I've ever read

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a definite page turner!