Rated of 5
by Celia A. (Takoma Park, MD) Shining a light on a sad side of history
There weren't many surprises in this book; I could see most of the developments coming from a mile away. But I was OK with that, because I really cared about what happened to these characters. This is a book that deserves to be read, especially with regards to U.S. history of "sundown towns." And if you want to know more about this unfortunate side of our history, I suggest you follow this book with James Loewen's non-fiction "Sundown Towns."
Rated of 5
by 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.
Rated of 5
by Molly K. (San Jose, CA) Wishing for More....
It is difficult to criticize a story whose subject and characters are so compelling.
I found the story to be well written, if occasionally overtold and often repetitious. The random crossword puzzle injections were welcome and pleasantly distracting.
However, the story itself was predictable. Within the first few pages, I easily anticipated what would happen next, in the same way we predict the next crisis of a good soap opera. As I read, I felt I was always 2-3 chapters ahead of the writer. This story has been told many times.
This is not to say that it is not an important story. However, I learned nothing that enhanced my interest or broadened my understanding of this dreadful piece of American history.
One final thought. The writer developed her main characters in terms of black and white (no pun intended. Isabelle, Robert, and Dorrie were presented as "all good". Dorrie's mother and brothers were presented as "all bad." A story told from the viewpoint of Cora and Nell, whose lifelong struggles of allegiance to two worlds, might have been a better read.
Rated of 5
by 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.
Rated of 5
by Helen S. (Sun City West, AZ) A Journey to Understanding
Julie Kibler has successfully tackled the difficult issue of racial equality in her fascinating debut novel told in the first person by Miss Isabelle and Dorrie on their journey from Texas to Ohio. The long car trip gave the women the time and opportunity to divulge their life stories in a believable way; however, the ultimate purpose of the trip came as a surprise to me. As a reader who had lived in the South before desegregation, I could empathize with the societal restraints and pressures Miss Isabelle wrestled with throughout her life. The engaging style of the author kept me reading as I discovered more and more of the intimate secrets as the women revealed them to each other. When the book ended, I realized that the lives of Miss Isabelle and Dorrie were much more alike than their ages, skin color, and circumstances might have suggested. I highly recommend Calling Me Home to readers interested in a story filled with love, mystery, life-changing secrets, and the consequences of racial inequality.
Rated of 5
by Ariel F. (Madison, WI) An unlikely friendship -- Miss Isabell and Dorrie!
This is an outstanding debut novel! Alternating between the present and 1930/40's, the author draws you into the lives and conversations between an elderly white woman and a young black hair dresser as they drive from Texas to Ohio. Both women have secrets that they have guarded but end up sharing with each other. In reading the novel, issues such as race,love,family, segregation are dealt with in a sensitive manner. If you liked The Help or The Kitchen House, you will enjoy this well written and researched novel. This is an ideal book for a book club to read. I am waiting on Kibler's next novel.
A very large book - in number of pages and in content - and every page worth reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and her first book on the...
read more
Two Lives is a memoir written by international best-selling author, Vikram Seth. In this interesting and engaging book, Seth writes about his great...
read more
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
read more
News Corp will officially split into two companies June 28(May 24 2013) As expected, News Corp has announced it will officially split its publishing and entertainment businesses on 28 June.
br>
Its board approved the...
Full Story
of 5
by Celia A. (Takoma Park, MD) 
of 5
by Amber B. (East Sparta, OH) 
of 5
by Molly K. (San Jose, CA) 
