BOOK REVIEW - Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

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Hey there!

I am in a book club (or three). That's not a secret. Two of my book clubs are virtual and one is live, with people that I see almost every day. My "live" book club picks three books to read each quarter and then we have a dinner meeting and talk about them. This past quarter we had to read Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler.

Calling Me Home is almost 2 books in one. Dorrie Curtis is the hairdresser and more importantly, friend to Isabelle McAllister. Isabelle is 89, Dorrie is either in her late 30s or early 40s. Isabelle asks Dorrie to drive her home to a funeral. She doesn't explain why but Dorrie feels that she can do this favor for Isabelle and take a break from things going on in her own life as well.

The book goes back and forth between present day about 1930's Kentucky. Current day deals with Dorrie's problems with her children (well, her son child) and her new boyfriend (and the demons of her ex). 1930's Kentucky is about Isabelle, a white teen, and how she falls in love with Robert, a black young man in her town.

The 1930's portion of the book pulls as your heart strings and leaves you unwilling to put the book down. You feel for Isabelle and the things that happen when a white girl falls for a black boy in the 1930s. The current day for Dorrie left me wanting to slap Dorrie. I had no sympathy for her at all.

That doesn't mean that any of the characters in this book were bad. No, they were all very well written. They were written so well that you fell in love with Isabelle and her naiveté and you were upset with Dorrie and her indecisiveness. The sub characters REALLY pushed your buttons. I mean each character was so fantastic, even if you are meant to hate (or really dislike) them.

The pace of the book was great. Even though there is some back and forth between the drive to get to the funeral and the romance between Isabelle and Robert, you can keep track of everything. Julie Kibler does a great job keeping you clear. Honestly, I would have been ok without Dorrie's story. It was nice to read but it would have been ok by me if it was left out.

I can tell you that I finished this book in a McDonalds parking lot, crying. Yes, I cried at the end. Was it because I was unhappy or happy? You have to read the book to find out.

I beyond loved this book. I didn't expect to but I really did. I totally recommend that everyone read it. If you have a book club, pick it. If you have a free 4 or 5 hours, read it!

I give this book 5 stars. Yes! 5 stars. I loved it, recommend it and plan on reading other books by Julie.