On Golden Land

by Naomi P. Lane

Seven lifelong friends from California meet along their journey to adulthood and fall into committed relationships. Andrea and Paul meet after university growing marijuana in the Golden Triangle. Together they decide to retire, live communally in New Mexico, and grow marijuana and ginger. They are joined by an eighth member along the way to become four couples. They build a homestead, complete with four houses, a greenhouse, yoga studio, and cutting shed. Relationships are tried and tested by external pressures, which threaten to destroy their communal life. Children and grandchildren come and go to create a dynamic unit. Will their lifestyle turn into a hippy pipedream or a happy ending?

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2021

About the author

Naomi P Lane lives on Vancouver Island, Canada. Her first book, a humorous memoir, is called The Ultimate Cat: A Baby-Boomer’s Guide to Retirement. Her second book, a novel called The Ordinary Life of Nadia Lewis, is the story a lifelong friendship between two women. Her third novel, On Golden Land, tells the tale of seven friends who build a communal homestead in New Mexico to farm marijuana. Her fourth book is a biography and epistolary about her sister’s wild bipolar life called Letters From My Dead Sister. She also has a weekly blog called The Friday Blog, which you can follow at: naomiplane.com

Reviews

[Nastaran Masoomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the features of the book that attracted me was its good characterization. I liked that each character had his own story and that this story was dealt with as much as needed...
I can imagine that if a daily series is made from this book, the result will be spectacular.
For me, the message I got from the book was the value of friendship and committed relationships.
I am grateful to the author of the book for providing me with a copy of the book for reading and I wish him the best of luck.

[Chris Maddix · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a different sort of book. I kept waiting for a plot, story line, adventure, whatever, but the author, Naomi Lane, stuck to the format of updating particular characters somewhat sequentially while telling the tale of a group of people embarking on communal living. The first character introduced was Andrea Holbeck, who recurrently experienced visions of her dead brother. Andrea took a job harvesting marijuana; there, she met a pair of good friends, Paul and Jared, and she fell in love with Paul. After Jared met Darlene, the four decided to live together. Paul and Andrea were temporarily unable to have a child, so they fostered Carlos, who eventually returned to his mother. Two newcomers, Ryan and Talia were added to the group, and the group decided to buy 5 acres in New Mexico and live communally, having persuaded another newcomer, Karl, to act as architect. From there, the residents took various jobs - plumber, yoga instructor, clothes designer, all while raising marijuana and ginger as cash crops. All did not go well. There were a couple of arrests, child Clay for "selling weed", Darlene for being suckered into accounting for a sleazy bookie named Joe. Both cash crops had setbacks. Ryan and Talia both strayed from their marriage, each with the same person, a waitress named Jocelyn. Karl suffered from cancer, Andrea from the visions; there was even a restraining order and a beating of Jared by a rival biker. The principal characters were largely positive. The evil people were bit players.

I suspect that the author considered a connection to a video entitled On Golden Pond, starring Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, a movie about family living in which each character could attract a following. I could imagine this book as a daytime soap opera. It would definitely have plenty of viewers.

[Aanchal Jhamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

With detailed description of the story of each character, the author did set a strong foundation for the readers to comprehend the story as it progresses further.

With the early retirement approaching in the story,I found myself thinking what probably could hold the story to be so long. But the varied story lines going parallely, though it seemed tough keeping a track at one point, yet at the end the book made me feel that why isn't there more? I still have a lot of questions as to what happens next!

All in all, in my humble opinion, Naomi as an author achieved what she hoped to by writing the book - to connect and put forth the value of friends and friendship!

[Kathleen Van Lierop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading On Golden Land due to the well written story
and the characters, which were pointed out very good. The story was
clear and it captivated me from start to finish. I also liked the layout of
the cover.

I recommend the book to 18+ readers due to some scenes in the book,
but a fantastic read.

Of course I give a 5 star rating to On Golden Land and I hope more
books will follow!

[Manisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of friends who have come together in their lives and formed strong bonds decide to buy a big piece of land and live as a small commune while also being independent. When they find their bank balances dwindling they convert it into a medical marijuana and ginger cultivating farm. Everybody contributes in whatever way they can to the upkeep of their setup.

The idea that friends get together and build a small community to support each other in their retirement years is something that we have discussed with our own friends many times. This book really appealed to me for that reason first and foremost. I was keen to see how the author makes it work (or not).

I think she did a good job with the characters, giving us a variety of people with different strengths and outlooks. I found the characters real and well etched out. It’s like life where nothing really big has to happen but it flows with little bumps and joys along the way.

It was an enjoyable read. Only in some places I felt it was more a chronicling of events than dealing with feelings and emotions.

I am grateful to the author and Booktasters for giving me this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rich tapestry of Life

These three Californian couples are a nice circle of friends with diverse talents and skills, they decide to build a commune for themselves for their retired life. They plan to support each other and enjoy time away from the cities.
What happens there, Golden Land, is the pleasant story narrated here.

It's a relaxing, pleasant chronicle marching forward with the usual ups and downs of their lives. They start off some innovative ventures, children grow up, then move out, weddings and grandchildren appear. Some upsets occur, new friends join in the commune happily. Some delightful occasions when Andrea's grandchildren visit for Christmas and weddings. Takes one to childhood memories.

Naomi writes a great story, all her characters are authentic, relatable and readers can watch them like real people going through trials and joys, manage their set backs, family upsets, and walk through life.

It's a joyous book to read for adults. Beware some explicit scenes.

[Augustine · Rating 2 out of 5]

On Golden Land by Naomi P. Lane chronicles the journey of seven lifelong friends from California who decide to form a communal living arrangement in New Mexico. Andrea and Paul, the initial couple, meet after university and start a legal marijuana and ginger farming business in the Golden Triangle. Over the years, they are joined by others, forming a tight-knit community of four couples who build a homestead complete with houses, a greenhouse, yoga studio, and cutting shed. The narrative follows their lives from their early years to retirement, highlighting their challenges and triumphs in maintaining their communal lifestyle amidst external pressures and personal trials.


While On Golden Land is a heartwarming story about friendship, community, and perseverance, it falls short of being a compelling read. The book's simplicity and readability are commendable, making it an easy read for those looking for a straightforward story. Lane's character development is strong, offering a diverse array of personalities that readers can relate to and care about.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, On Golden Land by Naomi P. Lane, mainly because of its' simplicity and readability. No complicated plot sequences just a story about regular people who everyone can relate to who come together in the spirit of friendship and found a community that flourishes and grows. the story follows the initial characters when they are young and just starting out in life and ends when they are in retirement with grown children and grandchildren. In addition to the community, they found through pooled resources, they also manage to start and manage a successful and legal Marijuana growing operation along with cultivating and selling ginger. Throughout the story there are many challenges to their relationships but they manage to persevere and remain a solid community. A beautiful story about life, friendship, and love told in an updated communal style of 1960's America. I highly recommend reading!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I enjoyed about this book, from the beginning, was the way the author told me all about the characters. I felt the author introduced me to each character in turn, and told me all about them. The author presented all of the characters in a way that encouraged the reader to like them and care about them.

It felt as though each character had their own place in the story, and each character was equally important. I think it was these qualities that made this book feel comforting to read.

[Terrytracy Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing I loved is the characters and how she went into great time to develop their persona. The story is about a group of people who decide to live a life of communal style. The group main income is a Marijuana, which they sell along side ginger in New Mexico. I like that the characters go through a series of life changing events. The characters experience such traumas as dealing with law on drug selling to the death of a parent. The author really goes in depth with the history of the characters and it shows. I am not really a fiction reader but I love this book and hope to see more from her. I gave it a five out of five.

[FROSTB1T3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This unfortunately was a did not finish for me. I tried picking it up several times and it just moves far to fast with no good storyline. I rarely don’t finish a book, but I just cannot finish this book.

[Irene. N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thus is her first book I’ve read. I really enjoyed the characters and the settings. Interesting read!

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

   *I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*
                          
 I thoroughly enjoyed this story of journeys and gained some valuable insights along the way. I found myself contemplating things I’d like to avoid and experiences I’d love to embrace. Overall, I’m pleased to have chosen Naomi Lane’s work. Her descriptive writing has helped me through some challenging times. As my personal life became chaotic, I again took notice of the essential human experiences we all share. Everyone encounters trouble and stress regardless of who they are or where they are in life. This is all part of being human. On a deeper level, I could relate to most of Lane’s characters as their stories unfolded. Visualizing myself in their shoes was effortless. This speaks to excellent character development and wording skills.
The characters brought to life by Lane were well-crafted and multi-dimensional. While I favored some over others, each one played a crucial role. From my perspective “On Golden Land” would have felt incomplete with any of them missing.
Being in the stage of life way before retirement, as a young millennial. I was taken with the notion of retiring to another country. Especially with the world’s and my country’s problems. Reading snippets from a hospital bed, I imagined myself building a life in a different country. I know that it couldn’t have been easy for the women in the story. Sure, they willingly transferred their lives from one place to another, like me. But several friends moved to a different country. I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast on my own. Similar but not the same at all. Changing what coast to call home is a small task when compared to changing countries.  I was glad to see that the author thought of and covered the possibility of language barriers. That was tackled pretty early on in the book. Like other possible future issues and hiccups, it was easily taken care of. The focus was not on unnecessary issues. I appreciate that all the worries the characters had were legitimate issues that many people go through regularly.

From the major characters to the minor characters, they all had dimensions. I like it when all the book characters have a full purpose and aren’t one-dimensional. Here are some notable people in “On Golden Land”.
All of the relationships went through troublesome times, in different ways. Here are a few relationships that shimmered brightly in my opinion.
Karl and Sonya.
 I liked their storyline and the way that everything seemed to flow with them. They both loved each other and when things got rough, they grew closer. Seeing them care for each other as their story unfolded was satisfying. I also enjoyed seeing the friendship between the ladies grow and flourish. Bouncing back after times of trouble. Another couple that I enjoyed the development of was Paul and Andrea. The pair weathered whatever storms came their way well. Tough patches didn’t stop them from moving forward with their lives and how much they loved each other.
While I didn’t have an issue with it, there may be a few possible readers who would take offense or be triggered by characters cheating on their significant other. This is not a children's book, but, from cover to cover, it is clean and not perverse. I have enjoyed Lane’s work so much that I would read her next book.
I hope this review has given you a little push towards your next read. Have a great day.





***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***



Some of the minor characters stood out to me. Affairs happen all the time, unfortunately. Two of the leading characters cheated, and a minor character cheated on his wife. This detail wasn’t a deal breaker for me. It did give me a glimpse at a few scenarios that could foster people cheating on their other half, however. Lane's words also had me thinking about what I would do if I were cheated on. In the end, we never really know what we are going to do until we do it.