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Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

Calling Me Home

by Julie Kibler
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  • First Published:
  • Feb 12, 2013, 336 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jan 2014, 352 pages
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Reviews


Page 2 of 4
There are currently 27 member reviews
for Calling Me Home
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  • Barbara B. (Alta Loma, CA)
    Calling Me Home
    This book was great!!! I loved going back and forth from Isabelle's story in 1939-1941 to Dorrie's present story. Isabelle was way ahead of her time & the strongest character in this story. I must admit I did have the ending figured out, but it did not stop me from cheering for Miss Isabelle & Dorrie. Their amazing friendship was priceless.
  • Sandy P. (Gainesville, FL)
    Excellent book, worth investing the time.
    I especially liked the way the author went back and forth between the issues of a forbidden inter-racial relationship in 1939 and Dorrie and Isabelle's present day trip to Cincinnati for a funeral. The closeness of the two women and their ability to bare their soul to each other was heartwarming. Everyone hopes to have at least one friend like that in their life. Their fondness and genuine love of each other removed all racial barriers that might have existed. Even right up to the last few pages new information and characters were introduced and had bearing on the story, so don't stop short of finishing. The final pages wrapped up all the loose ends and yet were very sad, but in a good way.
  • Michelle N. (Hillsdale, NJ)
    You'll want to read this in one sitting!
    When Miss Isabelle asks her hairdresser, Dorrie, to accompany her a long distance to attend a funeral, we are not sure whose funeral or what it has to do with the two main characters. But along the way, we are drawn into Miss Isabelle's story, as told to Dorrie. And what a story it is! This book will keep you reading and enthrall you with the story of Isabelle's life; the characters are well developed and the story will grab your heart, right until the last page - I loved this book and would highly recommend it to book clubs and anyone looking for an un-put-downable read - fantastic!
  • Wendy F. (Kalamazoo, MI)
    Journey
    Calling Me Home affected me more than any book has in a very long time. The emotions that run through Isabelle's story of her past and the current difficulties that Dorrie is dealing with bring us a rich and satisfying tale.

    Their bond grows as Isabelle unravels her life in words along the road from Texas to Cincinnati. O. Henry-like twists occur that take your breathe away.

    Friendship often does come in the most unlikely places. This couple's friendship is truly a special one that deepens as Isabelle's story is revealed. Calling Me Home brought laughter as well as tears. Journey along with these amazing women and find love and longing as their journey moves forward.
  • Laura G. (Buffalo, NY)
    A Ride to Remember
    Calling Me Home has a masterful way of drawing in its reader. The car ride, to a funeral across country, brings together two unlikely travelling companions. The story the older woman shares with the younger woman is a story for all to hear. It bridges time, age and race in a poignant, bittersweet tale that impacts, not only the two characters, but anyone who picks up this book. I'm so glad to have read it and highly recommend it.
  • Amber B. (East Sparta, OH)
    Powerful, heartbreaking story.
    While sellers may try to compare this to "The Help" - and yes, the storytelling rivals it - this is instead a love story. Powerful and gripping, you'll be surprised with the characters as the details of a forbidden romance unfold, changing two people and everyone else in their lives forever. Definitely pick up this book for your reading group, literature class, or a great read.
  • Alice S. (East Haven, Ct)
    Moving Love Story
    Calling Me Home, which at first I thought might be a cliched story line, at the end moved me to tears (and I don't cry easily). The back and forth of the narrative between the current time and the 30's and the circumstances and hardships of an inter- racial love were both moving and hard to forget. The characters of Dorrie and Isabelle and the close bond they had was a great example of the importance of women's friendships in each others lives even though their backgrounds may be so different. A very touching book that I will be thinking about for a while.

Beyond the Book:
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