During the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, I was searching for stories. Any story that could make me feel connected to humanity. I wanted to re-engage with my passion of why I love storytelling, such as through various mediums of television, movies, and books. Like many of my generation, I began to see an influx of book recommendations through Book TikTok. Because of this, I decided to take some of these recommendations to see if they were worth the hype. Some were and others were definitely not. However, the same author continually kept coming up in my feed. Many of her books were becoming popular on social media, and I had never read anything by this author before. This author’s name is Taylor Jenkins Reid, an author I cannot imagine not knowing now.Â
Taylor Jenkin Reid is the author of the popular sensations, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six, Malibu Rising, and Carrie Soto is Back. Her writing dives into different entertainment industries, such as acting, music, and sports. Her contemporary novels have strong, multi-faceted female protagonists at the center. Reid’s writing has made reading popular again, and her stories reflect humanity’s most complex emotions, allowing all readers to relate in some ways to her stories and characters. This is the reason why all of her novels are being adapted into movies and television series. I have enjoyed all of her novels and she has become an instant-buy author for me, which means anything she writes, I will read. However, deep down, Daisy Jones and the Six will always be my favorite by her.Â
Daisy Jones and the Six was published in 2019, and became an instant bestseller after The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’s success in 2017. Daisy Jones and the Six follows the rise of a fictional rock band in 70’s Hollywood. Reid was fascinated by band dynamics, especially in the 70’s. Fleetwood Mac was a band that heavily influenced Reid’s writing. The band’s leads, Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, are complex people who must write a hit album together. Reese Witherspoon read this book and made it one of her popular book club picks. Soon after, her production company, “Hello Sunshine”, got the rights and go-ahead to write the screenplay, which would become the television series to be released on Amazon Prime Video.Â
The strong fanbase for this novel meant finding the right casting for the leads of the show. Riley Keough, granddaughter of Elvis Presley, was first cast as Daisy because of her charisma and passion for the character of Daisy. Despite her musical heritage, she had only ever played the piano as a child. She had never sung professionally before. Sam Claflin, the king of book-to-screen adaptations, was then cast as Billy Dunne. Claflin has a background in musical theater, but had never sung professionally either. Both of the actors were hesitant going into their “band camp” sessions with the other actors casted, but their work and dedication allowed the group to actually feel like a real band. The show also had many setbacks because of filming during the pandemic because the show began the pre-production process and music rehearsals during 2020. The process of teaching the actors how to sing and play instruments, writing the music, producing an album, and then filming the actual show was a long process, but I’m so glad that one of my favorite books has received the official book adaptation treatment.Â
The novel and show addresses substance abuse, relationships, sexism in the music industry, neglect, childhood abuse, and so many more topics. Reid writes her novel in an interview transcript style from 40 years after the band breaks up. The show will also follow this style, but only has a 20 year time jump, rather than 40 years, going back and forth from the interview of the band members to the past of how the band came together.Â
On March 2nd, Amazon Prime surprise-dropped the first three episodes of Daisy Jones and the Six when they were originally supposed to come out on March 3rd. The rest of the 10 episodes will come out on the following Thursdays with all 10 episodes being out March 24th. The show also has an album that contains the songs from the show that was released before the episodes came out. The album, Aurora, the same name as the album the band creates in the show and book, consists of 70’s rock elements that mimic Fleetwood Mac for inspiration. The songs show the same struggles the characters go through that Reid writes about.Â
I believe that this album, show, and book will reinvigorate 70’s fashion and music in today’s trends. Free People is collaborating with the show to create a Daisy Jones inspired fashion line that will have pieces reflecting 70’s trends of the past for the spring and summer seasons. The music has already gone to number one on iTunes, and personally, it will be my top artist and album on Spotify by the end of the year (along with many other fans who have long-awaited this adaptation). The cultural impact of this show will be immense, and it is already beginning.Â
I’m so excited to become immersed in this world again of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. When I first read the novel, I felt as if I personally knew these characters. That’s how real the characters felt to me. A part of me wants to gatekeep these characters and the story because of how much they mean to me. However, I know this is a story that has to be told for everyone’s benefit and enjoyment. The story made me feel less alone during a time of isolation. Since my first read of the novel, I have re-read the novel three times. I recently re-read it before the show was released to closely see what changes will be made in the show compared to the book. Each time I read the novel, I gain something new from the reading experience. I learn something new about myself, or I see an aspect of the character I never saw before. Reid’s writing truly explores the complex, messy, and confusing human condition of love and life with this 70’s rock band aesthetic as the backdrop.Â
I implore everyone to read the book and watch the show. After watching the first three episodes, I have felt a reconnection to these characters. It feels like I am being transported back to the 70’s. I hope everyone falls in love with the character of Daisy Jones, as I did. Her strength and free spirit is something I wish to mimic in my own life. Her struggles almost feel like they are my own struggles, even when I cannot even imagine going through what she has. As of now, I’m predicting great things for this series, such as Emmy and possible Grammy nominations for the acting and music respectively. This cast has undeniable chemistry that you have to watch for yourselves. Not many shows can bridge the acting and music industry together, and be successful in both, but Daisy Jones and the Six, is not just some story, it is the story that will reach this success.