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Calling Me Home

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Calling Me Home

By: Julie Kibler
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Lorna Raver
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About this listen

A moving love story inspired by a true story and perfect for fans of The Help

In a time of hate, would you stand up for love?

Shalerville, Kentucky, 1939. A world where black maids and handymen are trusted to raise white children and tend to white houses, but from which they are banished after dark.

Sixteen-year-old Isabelle McAllister, born into wealth and privilege, finds her ordered life turned upside down when she becomes attracted to Robert, the ambitious black son of her family’s housekeeper. Before long Isabelle and Robert are crossing extraordinary, dangerous boundaries and falling deeply in love.

Many years later, eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle will travel from her home in Arlington, Texas, to Ohio for a funeral. With Isabelle is her hairstylist and friend, Dorrie Curtis – a black single mother with her own problems. Along the way, Isabelle will finally reveal to Dorrie the truth of her painful past: a tale of forbidden love, the consequences of which will resound for decades . . .

‘If Julie Kibler's novel Calling Me Home were a young woman, her grandmother would be To Kill a Mockingbird, her sister would be The Help and her cousin would be The Notebook. But even with such iconic relatives, Calling Me Home stands on her own’ Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home

‘Julie Kibler’s writing is so wise and assured. I laughed out loud in places and had tears in my eyes as I turned the last page’ Diane Chamberlain

'If you liked The Help by Kathryn Stockett, you’ll absolutely love Calling Me Home' Red magazine

 African American Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Multicultural Heartfelt Tear-jerking Emotionally Gripping

Critic reviews

‘You’d never guess that Calling Me Home is a debut novel, Julie Kibler’s writing is so wise and assured. Although the two strong women she’s created come from completely different backgrounds, the bond that grows between them is extraordinary, touching and believable. I laughed out loud in places and had tears in my eyes as I turned the last page. I can’t wait to watch Julie Kibler’s star rise!’ Diane Chamberlain
‘If Julie Kibler's novel Calling Me Home were a young woman, her grandmother would be To Kill a Mockingbird, her sister would be The Help and her cousin would be The Notebook. But even with such iconic relatives, Calling Me Home stands on her own; this novel uncovers a painful past that tells us so much about who we are, where we're going, and the people who are traveling with us’ Wiley Cash, bestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home
'A wonderful debut; thought provoking, heart breaking yet redemptive. Utterly compulsive' Irish Examiner
‘Before I started reading Calling Me Home, I knew that this was Pan Macmillan’s lead fiction debut of 2013, and that Warner Bros had snapped up the film rights, but nothing prepared me for the overwhelming roller coaster of emotions induced by the astonishingly talented Julie Kibler’s debut novel . . . I cried, and I cried, and after I’d finished crying I cried a bit more. And when people asked what was wrong when I arrived at Fabulous HQ the next day, complete with puffy eyes and blotchy skin, I muttered something incomprehensible about a book that I’d finished reading the night before. In short: Calling Me Home left me speechless. So be prepared to embark on a heart-rending journey during which you will laugh, cry and stare astonished at the very words on the page. No words can quite pinpoint the magic and resonance of this incredible novel, so all that I can say is: you must read this!’ Fabulous magazine
'A beautiful story, beautifully told. The quality of the writing is first class. Whenever I put it down, I always looked forward to coming back to it and I'm sad to have finished it. What I particularly liked was the lack of mawkishness in the book. Both the main characters are very likeable and not in the least martyred despite all they've been through. By the end, they felt like friends to me; two women whose company and whose stories I thoroughly enjoyed. The difficult subject of racism was dealt with face-on, but at the same time handled with the lightest of touches.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am already recommending it to friends' Louise Douglas, Bestselling Author
‘This touching tale covers the same difficult subject of racism and segregation in 20th-centuary America as The Help. But it’s a much more human and personal book… A sad but life-affirming book’ Bella
‘Based on a true story, fans of the The Help will be enthralled by this emotional read' Prima
All stars
Most relevant
Read well by the two narrators which made it more alive and felt like you were in the car with them! A gripping tale, although sad in places because of prejudice and discrimination but the strong love was so warming. Well written and a really great listen which will leave you wanting more - of the story and from the author!

A great listen. I didn't want the journey to stop!

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What made the experience of listening to Calling Me Home the most enjoyable?

I found the way the story unfolded on the journey and ran alongside what was happening in the hairdressers life captivating

What was one of the most memorable moments of Calling Me Home?

Robert coming back for Isa

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Robert coming back!

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Love does not always win

An interesting slant on a common situation

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What made the experience of listening to Calling Me Home the most enjoyable?

I loved listening to this book and following the stories of Isabelle and Dorrie, both past and present. I felt their stories complemented each other well and gave insights into both perspectives.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Isabelle was my favourite character from feisty young girl to wise old lady. I loved watching her grow into the person she became, shaped by the events in her life, but never losing her compassion or spirit.

What about Bahni Turpin and Lorna Raver ’s performance did you like?

I could picture them together with ease. They were well matched narrators that brought realism to the story.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Tragic true love story torn apart by racism and war but never defeated.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book and it's characters who you could really love or hate. A picture of life in unjust times and the legacy it still leaves in modern day.

Excellent debut novel

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The story starts off uneventfully but there is intrigue hidden behind the introductions of the characters. The story deals very sympathetically with the turmoils
Of colour in a white America, the trials of youth and the heartache of secrets.
I listened to this story from London to Melbourne and back. Fantastic

An unexpected read

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Beautiful narration
Love story at its finest
Kleenex to hand
Listened constantly from start to finish !

♥️ lovely story

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