After signing her divorce papers, Dr. Julie Walker receives news that her younger sister, Heather, has gone into labor, and sets out to be at her side -- no easy task since the streets of San Francisco are filled with tension and strife. Today is also the day that Julie will find herself at the epicenter of a violent standoff in which she is forced to examine both the promising and painful parts of her past. Golden State takes readers on a journey over the course of single, unforgettable day -- through an extraordinary landscape of love, loss, and hope.

The streets of San Francisco have erupted into chaos. Today is the day that Californians vote on whether or not to secede from the United States. Today is also the day that Julie Walker will be forced to examine both the promising and painful parts of her past: her Southern childhood; her romance with her husband, Tom; her estrangement from her sister Heather; and the shattering incident that led to her greatest heartbreak.