Set in August 1983, the story centers on the four Riva siblings—Nina, Jay, Hud, and Kit—as they host their famous annual end-of-summer party in Malibu. While the narrative follows the twenty-four hours leading up to a catastrophic fire, it frequently shifts back in time to chronicle the neglectful marriage of their parents, legendary singer Mick Riva and June Riva. The siblings struggle to manage the burdens of their father’s public abandonment and the private sacrifices required to keep their fractured family intact. By midnight, hidden pregnancies, betrayals, and long-held resentments surface, forcing each sibling to confront the cycle of their father's mistakes.
Readers who enjoy family sagas and mid-century California history will find an examination of how generational trauma dictates adult behavior. It appeals to those interested in the contrast between celebrity prestige and the grueling reality of being raised by an absentee parent. The reader walks away with a clear perspective on the distinction between blood ties and the families people build themselves to survive childhood hardship.
Insights from Malibu Rising
“She had been a caretaker for so long that she had forgotten how to be anything else.”
Nina spends her entire life holding the family together. She forgets that she is allowed to have her own desires.
“He was a man who wanted to be loved but didn't know how to love back.”
Mick Riva is proof that fame can be a shield for being a terrible father. He thinks showing up once makes everything okay.
“The house was a symbol of all she had sacrificed.”
The party feels like a funeral for the life Nina thought she wanted. Sometimes everything has to burn down for you to finally breathe.
“She loved him with a desperation that was exhausting to witness.”
June stayed with a man who never deserved her. Her loyalty felt more like a prison than a virtue.
- Published
- 2021
- Publisher
- Ballantine Books
- ISBN
- 9781524798666
- Language
- EN
