One Day on the Gold Line

A Memoir in Essays

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 18 Jul 2019 | Archive Date 30 Jan 2020

Talking about this book? Use #OneDayontheGoldLine #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Through meditations on race, culture, and family, One Day on the Gold Line tells the story of a lesbian Jewish single mother raising a black son in Los Angeles. A memoir-in-essays, it examines life’s surprising changes that come through choice or circumstance, often seemingly out of nowhere, and sometimes darkly humorous—even as the situations are dire.

While escaping from a burning boat, Carla realizes that if she died, her one regret would be not having children. She overcomes miscarriages to finally give birth to a son. Motherhood’s usual struggles are then complicated by identity, community, and the challenges of creating a blended family. The overarching theme of these loosely woven reflective tales is the storyteller’s dream of the “perfect” family, the pursuit of which hurls her from one crisis to the next, ultimately meeting its greatest challenge in the form of her teenage son’s struggle with drug addiction.

Through meditations on race, culture, and family, One Day on the Gold Line tells the story of a lesbian Jewish single mother raising a black son in Los Angeles. A memoir-in-essays, it examines life’s...


A Note From the Publisher

Carla Rachel Sameth is a writer whose work has appeared in various anthologies and publications. She was selected as a 2016 PEN In The Community Teaching Artist, teaches creative writing at the LA Writing Project at California State University Los Angeles and at Southern New Hampshire University, has an MFA from Queens University in Charlotte, and is a member of the Pasadena Rose Poets. She lives in Los Angeles with her wife.

Carla Rachel Sameth is a writer whose work has appeared in various anthologies and publications. She was selected as a 2016 PEN In The Community Teaching Artist, teaches creative writing at the LA...


Advance Praise

“The essays explore the inner workings of abusive marriages, futile attempts to craft a happy blended family with a dysfunctional wife, and the parental nightmare of an adolescent son with substance abuse.” –Alison Ernst, Brevity

“Carla Sameth has seen it all—and she’s the perfect guide to show us the poetry she found. Like motherhood itself, One Day on the Gold Line will break your heart in all the right places and put it back together a little differently.” —Ariel Gore, author, editor/publisher of Hip Mama

“A beautifully written memoir…notable for clarity and originality. A sharp wit and defiant humor run through this book, giving it an upbeat energy.” —Kathryn Rhett, author of Immortal Village, Souvenir, and Survival Stories: Memoirs of Crisis

“The essays explore the inner workings of abusive marriages, futile attempts to craft a happy blended family with a dysfunctional wife, and the parental nightmare of an adolescent son with substance...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781684332618
PRICE US$5.99 (USD)

Average rating from 2 members


Featured Reviews

I found this book to be a fascinating although at times a confusing read.. it’s a memoir composed from essays, which make some time and place jumps. The memoir tells a story about race, culture, intimacy and finding one’s self. It’s a wild story about survival, strength and most of all love.
The writer has a unique style and is outspoken, and maybe a little crazy, it sits really well with me. I couldn’t really put this book down, but I also can’t tell you exactly what I liked about it.

Was this review helpful?