Review: The Start of Everything

Summary: In this stunning psychological thriller for readers of Tana French, Kate Atkinson, and Donna Tartt, Emily Winslow has crafted a literary prism told through the eyes of her many intricately drawn characters. Masterly and mesmerizing, The Start of Everything will captivate until the very last page.
 
“If you don’t want to see me again, say so. But it’s not right to say nothing. It’s not right to go silent. You know what to do.”

Cambridge, England: Outside the city, the badly decomposed body of a teenage girl has washed up in the flooded fens. Detective Inspector Chloe Frohmann and her partner, Morris Keene, must work quickly to identify the victim before the press takes off with the salacious story.

Across the hallowed paths and storied squares of Cambridge University, the detectives follow scant clues toward the identity of the dead girl. Eventually, their search leads them to Deeping House, an imposing country manor where, over the course of one Christmas holiday, three families, two nannies, and one young writer were snowed in together. Chloe Frohmann begins to unravel a tangled web of passions and secrets, of long-buried crimes and freshly committed horrors. But in order to reveal the truth—about misaddressed letters, a devastating affair, and a murdered teenager—she may have to betray her partner. -- Delacorte Press

A few years ago, I reviewed THE WHOLE WORLD by Emily Winslow. I was extremely impressed with the mystery aspect of the story and how well she brought the setting to life; however, it was her ability to tell the story from various characters' points of view that really made the book special to me. So when her latest novel THE START OF EVERYTHING was recently published, I most definitely wanted to read it. I am thrilled to say that I enjoyed this novel even more than her first one.

THE START OF EVERYTHING begins when a teenage girl is found dead in the flooded fens. Detectives Chloe Frohmann and her partner Morris Keene are back together working the case after Keene returns from a job-related injury, and they are feeling pressure to solve the case. The case takes them from Cambridge University to a country manor where they learn that some suspicious events took place on a Christmas holiday. As they struggle to figure out the murder, Frohmann and Keene discover many secrets, including ones that could ultimately destroy families and even lives.

It's funny, but when I went back and read my review for THE WHOLE WORLD, I found that much of what I appreciated about that novel still held true for this one. Once again, Ms. Winslow wove a wonderfully complex psychological thriller with interesting characters. In addition, she again brought the setting of Cambridge, England to life; and she even told the story through the viewpoints of various characters. All in all, it was an outstanding psychological thriller that managed to provide a few surprises for me along the way.

There were a few aspects of this story that really stood out for me. First of all, I found the characters of Frohmann and Keene to be incredibly interesting and I loved the dynamics of their relationship. I hesitate to go into too much detail for fear of giving away some spoilers; however, suffice it to say that they were well-developed characters who were both dealing with their fair share of baggage. I enjoyed seeing how they related to each other after Keene's accident and I thought the author did a great job of showing how Keene was dealing (and not dealing) with his injuries.

Another really quality aspect of THE START OF EVERYTHING was how Ms. Winslow decided to tell the story. Like she did in THE WHOLE WORLD, she chose to give many viewpoints of the story as well as bouncing back and forth between the present and the past. All of her transitions were extremely smooth and I thought the story moved along at a very brisk pace. However, what really impressed me was how well she captured the individual voices of the characters. And I'm not talking two or even three different characters' voices. She managed to create voices for the detectives, the suspects, and even the victims, and all of them were distinct. I imagine that must have been a difficult task to undertake and to pull it off really says something about Ms. Winslow's writing skills.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the murder mystery in this story. I thought it was very well done and I wasn't entirely sure which direction the story was going to take. Needless to say, I couldn't put together the entire mystery and motives; however, I did pick up on a few things. I absolutely loved how the book seemed almost disjointed to me some of the time since there were so many characters' voices, but the way everything eventually came together was brilliant!

I think THE START OF EVERYTHING would work well for book clubs since it is a thought-provoking thriller. There is a reading guide available six questions and Ms. Winslow is available to meet with groups. I found so many of the characters and their actions to be interesting so you could definitely find plenty to discuss there. However, there are also some themes in the story including loss, grief, change, fear, betrayal, lies, parent/child relationships, forgiveness, and redemption that are ripe for analysis.

I enjoyed THE START OF EVERYTHING a great deal and found it to be an extremely well written literary mystery. Highly recommended.

Make sure you stop by tomorrow because Ms. Winslow has written a fantastic essay for Book Club Exchange... plus there will also be a giveaway for THE START OF EVERYTHING.

Thanks to Tandem Literary for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.

Audio Books & the Grammys + Giveaway

Today, I am happy to welcome Meghan Walker from Tandem Literary to Booking Mama. She has written a fantastic guest post about tonight's 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards® and why, as book lovers, we should be interested! Make sure you also check out the great giveaway for this year's Best Spoken Word Album nominees!

And the GRAMMY® Goes To… 

by Meghan Walker

So the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards® are tonight. As lovers of the written word and great storytelling, what is the book lover’s role on “Music’s Biggest Night?” To groan as we listen to the pop idol du jour butcher the English language? No! Why, it is to root for your favorite audiobook, of course!

Each year The Recording Academy gives out an award for Best Spoken Word Album. Thankfully, this does not mean recognizing an aging TV star for his dramatic reading of a Beatles song. It means books, people!

This year the five nominated titles in this category are: American Grown by Michelle Obama; Back To Work by Bill Clinton, Drift by Rachel Maddow, Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres, and Society's Child by Janis Ian.

In each case, the nominee is the “label,” which means the publisher. The odds are stacked in favor of Random House Audio/Books on Tape as three out of the five nominees (Obama, Clinton, Maddow) are theirs. But the big prize could just as easily go to Hachette Audio for the DeGeneres title or to Audible for the Ian autobiography.

Dan Zitt is the Director of Master Recording at Random House Audio. He declares this year’s race too tough to call.

“There are thousands of great audiobooks released each year, so I can only imagine how difficult it is for The Recording Academy to narrow it down to five nominees,” Dan says. “This year it is such a strong category, it really is a toss up.”

Political books have fared well in past years—titles by Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, and Hillary Rodham Clinton have all taken top honors. However, comedy is also a perennial favorite. Last year’s winning audiobook was Betty White’s memoir, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't) and the 2010 GRAMMY® went to The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents Earth. But Society’s Child could run away with it. The Recording Academy has shown the love to celebrity memoirs from Michael J. Fox, Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee, and Quincy Jones over the past decade.

The GRAMMY Awards® ceremony at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles (and even the pre-telecast where the Spoken Word award is doled out) is a far cry from your typical east coast publishing trade show or wine and cheese author party. But this year’s GRAMMY Awards® will not be Dan’s first time at the big dance.

“I have worked on eight books that have been nominated over the years,” Dan said. “I have been to the GRAMMY®s more than five times, but not quite eight.”

He checked in with me on Thursday night just after landing in LA to prep for this year’s big event. In response to everyone’s favorite red carpet question, Dan reports that he will be wearing a classic black Hugo Boss suit, with some Nike Air Force 1s on his feet “to give it a little flavor.”

So what is it like for the publishing folks who get to partake in the GRAMMY® glitz and glamour, rubbing elbows with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Paul McCartney, and Beyonce?

“It is strange to say the least,” Dan reports. “Here you are at a music event waiting to hear if you won the only award that goes to book people! I think it really first hit me, as to the gravity of where I was, when I was sitting next to Andy Garcia one year. Then in the lobby of the convention center I had Tony Bennett on one side of me, and the Wu Tang Clan on the other. Surreal in every way!”

Having won a GRAMMY® Award before (in 2005 for President Clinton’s My Life), Dan reports that he keeps it on a shelf at home next to some pictures of himself with some of the more interesting people he has had the opportunity to work with over the years. “None of my friends believe that the GRAMMY® or the pictures are real,” he says.

But, still. Dan is not quick to take credit. The Recording Academy sets the nominees for each nominated title based on strict guidelines.

“Since many people are part of the recording process, it is somewhat of a shared award,” Dan says. “The author, the producers, the narrator in some cases all can accept the award.”

So, is it an honor just to be nominated? Well, yes.

“It’s great to win, but just as great to be recognized for the work we all put in on these recordings,” says Dan. “I just hope the award brings more recognition to what so many authors, actors, publishers and producers have put their time into: great productions. And if the GRAMMY®s somehow help bring more consciousness to the audiobook format, now that is the true reward for all of us.”

So this Sunday, get your book lights in the air and raise those devil horns like you just don’t care as you tune in to root on these five deserving audiobooks. (The pre-telecast will be a web-streaming event. Visit www.grammy.com for details.)

While books may not take center stage at the GRAMMY®s, at least they are invited to the party. Rock on for that.

*****
Giveaway alert: To celebrate audio books and 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, I have a wonderful giveaway! One lucky winner will win a set of the five audio books nominated for the Best Spoken Word Album. This prize package includes: AMERICAN GROWN by Michelle Obama; BACK TO WORK by Bill Clinton, DRIFT by Rachel Maddow, SERIOUSLY... I'M KIDDING by Ellen DeGeneres, and SOCIETY'S CHILD by Janis Ian.

To enter, just fill out the form below before Sunday, February 16th at 11:59 p.m. ET. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!

Kid Konnection: Valentine's Day Edition

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you some adorable books that are perfect for Valentine's Day.

Summary: Even boys will fall in love with this valentine!

Leon has a crush. A let-her-cut-in-line-at-the-water-fountain kind of crush. And he's got the perfect valentine. But this valentine has no intention of getting caught up in any romantic conspiracy. "Love is yucky, kid! Valentine's Day is all about CANDY!" the card yells at Leon, before leaping out the window and running away, leaving Leon to chase it across town, collecting interested kids along the way.

Here is a hilarious take on the holiday that boys love to hate, the most complex holiday of them all. Saying "I love you" has never been so yucky or so sweet. -- Dial

THE YUCKIEST, STINKIEST, BEST VALENTINE EVER by Brenda A. Ferber is just precious! I wasn't quite sure that Booking Son would like a book about Valentine's Day and crushes, but we read it together and had a great time. He adored this book and there were many laughs between the two of us.

THE YUCKIEST, STINKIEST, BEST VALENTINE EVER tells the story of Leon and his crush on a very special girl. The valentine wants no part of Leon's crush and keeps telling Leon that love is yucky and Valentine's Day is all about the candy. As the valentine jumps out the window and runs away, Leon begins a chase which takes them through town picking up a variety of kids along the way. Naturally, Leon and the valentine end up with Leon's crush and her valentine; and everyone discovers that Valentine's Day is definitely about more than just the candy!

The book was so cute and so silly and I just loved it! I'm not sure what I liked more though, the story or the illustrations. The pictures were by Tedd Arnold and they were perfect for the fun and whimsical nature of the book. I absolutely loved the heartsick look in Leon's eyes as well as many of the characters' facial expressions.

Highly recommended!

Summary: This giftable little picture book of haiku by award winner Betsy Snyder is something adults will love to give one another as much as they'll enjoy sharing it with the youngest listeners. Perfect for Valentine's Day and any day of the year, this book will inspire people to tell one another, "I haiku you!"  -- Random House

I HAIKU YOU by Betsy Snyder is a beautiful book that's perfect for Valentine's Day! This book celebrates love and appreciation and features twelve two page spreads with haikus and corresponding illustrations.

Each haiku is dedicated to showing love towards special things like lemonade, a teddy bear, a friend, a dog and even s'mores. It's too darn cute and it's a great way to introduce this Japanese form of poetry to little ones.

Summary: It's Valentine's Day and the 10 little neighbors in this book are busy making Valentines for their closest friends.

A dinosaur card, thinks little Pete,
My pal Max would find really neat.

Will everyone get a Valentine at the big Valentine's Day party? You can count on it!

With its fun counting element, bouncy text, and adorable illustrations, this book is the perfect gift for young lovebugs. -- Knopf

10 VALENTINE FRIENDS by Janet Schulman and illustrated by Linda Davick is a rhyming board book that not only shows the importance of friendship but also teaches children to count from one to ten. In 10 VALENTINE FRIENDS, ten friends make individualized Valentines for each other. Each child thinks of something special that their friend might like and designs an appropriate Valentine! For instance, Priscilla makes a gorilla valentine for her friend Tom; and Pete makes a dinosaur one for Max.

This book was cute but I especially liked that the right column on each page spread kept a running total of the valentines. This is a great way to teach basic counting to toddlers and preschoolers.

Summary: Tweet Hearts features two little lovebirds and ten little hearts. Preschoolers and their parents will love counting all the hearts from ten to one while reading along with the rhyming text.

Susan Reagan's graphic, stylish illustrations of adorable lovebirds round out the package . . . and there's a pop-up on the last spread: One big heart says I love you! -- Robin Corey Books
 
TWEET HEARTS by Susan Reagan is another adorable board book that is perfect for the little ones in your life. This book counts down hearts from ten to one and there is even a surprise pop-up at the end. The illustrations of the two lovebirds and the various hearts are super cute too!

Rather than try to tell you how sweet this book is, I'll just let this video do the talking:

Thanks to Blue Slip Media and the publishers for providing review copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Giveaway: Safe Haven Prize Pack

SAFE HAVEN

In Theaters February 14, 2013 

An affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman’s struggle to love again, Safe Haven is based on the novel from Nicholas Sparks, the best-selling author behind the hit films The Notebook and Dear John. When a mysterious young woman arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller. 

Starring Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, David Lyons & Cobie Smulders. 

Are you looking for the perfect Valentine's Day date? Well, look no further! Safe Haven, the movie based on Nicholas Sparks' book of the same name, is in theaters February 14th -- just in time for Valentine's Day. You and your sweetie can see this romantic movie for free if you happen to win my Safe Haven Giveaway!

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Relativity Media and Big Honcho Media, I have a terrific Safe Haven prize pack available to one lucky Booking Mama reader. This prize pack includes a $25 Visa Gift Card for a day (or night!) at the movies and a copy of the movie-tie in edition paperback book (valued at $33.99.)

To enter, just fill out the form below before Friday, February 15th at 11:59 p.m. ET. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only. Good luck! Make sure you check out this clip where Nicholas Sparks and the cast discuss Safe Haven:



For more information on SAFE HAVEN 
Like Safe Haven on Facebook
Follow @SafeHavenMovie on Twitter #SafeHaven
Watch the trailer & clips on YouTube
Find Safe Haven on Instagram & Pinterest too!

Review: Level 2 (Audio)

Summary: Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind. -- Random House Audio

A few years ago at BEA, Lenore Appelhans told me that she had written a book and it was going to be published. As a fellow blogger and friend, I was thrilled for her and couldn't wait to read her novel. She told me that it was called LEVEL 2 and then she proceeded to give me a brief description of her book. Of course, I can't remember exactly how she described her novel, but I do recall that it was about a teenage girl living in "Level 2" of the afterlife. Since I am fresh off listening to this story, I can now fill in a few more details for you.

Felicia died unexpectedly before her eighteenth birthday and is now living in Level 2, part of the afterlife that exists between our world and the next. Basically, all Felicia and the other drones can do all day is access their memories and relive them. Naturally, these memories are bittersweet; and often times, Felicity longs for the love of her life Neil.

But then, some very odd things begin to happen in Level 2. A drone is found dead and no one remembers her at all... except for Felicia, and then Julian a boy from her past appears and offers her a way out of Level 2... and a way to see Neil again. The problem is that Felicity has to join the fight against the Morati, or the angel guardians of Level 2; and that battle will prove to be more challenging than she could ever imagine.

I am the first to admit that I read LEVEL 2 because I know and respect Lenore. This type of young adult book is not my usual reading fare, and quite honestly, I'm not sure I can judge whether a futuristic YA book is good or not. Having said that, I feel that I have read enough books to tell you that there are some very special things about LEVEL 2.

First of all, I was blown away by the overall premise of this novel. I thought it was extremely creative and original, and I loved how she can up with not only the concept of a Level 2 but also how she brought it to life. Her descriptions of the physical appearance of the level were terrific, but I think she did an even better job of coming up with the idea of memory retrieval. I liked how Felicia would access her memories, both good and bad; and I thought the user ratings were a nice touch!

Another aspect of LEVEL 2 that I liked was how she presented the story. The story took place some time in the future in Level 2; however, because of Felicity's memory retrieval, there were flashbacks to her past. As a reader who isn't a huge fan of science fiction and futuristic stories, I appreciated that a big part of this novel took place during the present because I could relate better to the story. I thought the "blasts to the past" were very helpful in making Felicity more likable (or human, if you will), and Lenore did a very good job of transitioning back and forth between the time periods.

Finally, I appreciated some of the themes and lessons in the novel. There were many religious references and quite a few to the play Our Town. (In fact, I was tempted to reread Our Town because I could only remember the general gist and a few scenes; however, I think what I remembered was enough!) In addition, I liked her concept of the afterlife and the role of "angels," and it actually gave me a few things to ponder. Also, the messages that our past does affect our future and the importance of redemption were valuable ones in this novel. None of these themes or messages were so obvious as to hit me over the head, but they were there; and I think most teens will pick up on them.

The only issue I had with LEVEL 2 (and it might not even be an issue) was the pacing of the story. The ending of the novel was definitely much more fast-paced that the beginning, and I guess it should have been because that was when the action/adventure was taking place. I think part of my problem was that I was listening to the novel rather than reading it, and some of the action became a bit too much for me... and I got a little confused. Unfortunately, I couldn't go back and re-read for clarification -- I told you I'm not the ideal reader for these types of books. I have no doubt that most readers would not have any problems following this novel!

As I mentioned earlier, I listened to the audio book of LEVEL 2 read by Jenna Lamia. I thought she was perfect for the role, and she definitely captured the essence of a teenage girl. She immediately became one with Felicia in my mind and I liked how she interpreted the scenes. You can listen to a clip below:



Overall, I enjoyed LEVEL 2 despite being outside the target audience, and I am extremely happy for Lenore's success!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this audio book.

Review: Jujitsu Rabbi and the Goddless Blonde

Summary: The ultimate fish-out-of-water tale . . . 

A child who never quite fit in, Rebecca Dana worshipped at the altar of Truman Capote and Nora Ephron, dreaming of one day ditching Pittsburgh and moving to New York, her Jerusalem. After graduating from college, she made her way to the city to begin her destiny. For a time, life turned out exactly as she’d planned: glamorous parties; beautiful people; the perfect job, apartment, and man. But when it all came crashing down, she found herself catapulted into another world. She moves into Brooklyn’s enormous Lubavitch community, and lives with Cosmo, a thirty-year-old Russian rabbi who practices jujitsu on the side.

While Cosmo, disenchanted with Orthodoxy, flirts with leaving the community, Rebecca faces the fact that her religion—the books, magazines, TV shows, and movies that made New York seem like salvation—has also failed her. As she shuttles between the world of religious extremism and the world of secular excess, Rebecca goes on a search for meaning. 
 
Trenchantly observant, entertaining as hell, a mix of Shalom Auslander and The Odd Couple, Jujitsu Rabbi and the Godless Blonde is a thought-provoking coming-of-age story for the twenty-first century. -- Amy Einhorn

I am almost one percent positive that I wouldn't have given JUJITSU RABBI AND THE GODLESS BLONDE by Rebecca Dana a second look if it weren't an Amy Einhorn book. I have come to expect great things from this imprint and I don't think I've ever been disappointed. Plus, the review from Entertainment Weekly (my go-to book source) review didn't hurt either.

JUJITSU RABBI AND THE GODLESS BLONDE is definitely different from the other Einhorn books that I've read, namely because it's a memoir. This book is Rebecca Dana's story about the time she spent living in Brooklyn's Lubavitch community with a 30 year old Russian Rabbi named "Cosmo." From the title, you can probably tell that he also practiced jujitsu!

Ms. Dana grew up as a sort of outcast in Pittsburgh; however, she always dreamed about moving to New York and living the glamorous life. She seemingly had it all -- a nice apartment, a great job as a journalist where she got to cover the hottest parties and celebrities, and even a boyfriend; however, things took a drastic change when she and her boyfriend broke up.

Ms. Dana was seriously depressed and she wasn't sure that living her dreamlife is all she thought it would be. She  found herself moving into a new apartment in Brooklyn's Lubavitch community with Cosmo, a Russian rabbi who was also at a turning point in his life. In a way, you could say that both individuals were disenchanted with their "religions." Cosmo was considering leaving his Orthodox faith while Ms. Dana was disillusioned with her worship of celebrities, money, gossip, and parties.

Through this unlikely friendship, Ms. Dana began to truly look at herself and work towards discovering what would really make her happy!

Overall, I enjoyed JUJITSU RABBI AND THE GODLESS BLONDE. I don't know that I loved it, but I did like many things about this book. And I can definitely say that after I closed the last page of the book, I had a smile on my face. I was very much entertained by Ms. Dana's story, and there is no doubt that I found parts of it to be very funny. I think what surprised me, especially after the prologue, is how insightful and touching her story was.

One thing that I appreciated about this book was Ms. Dana's presentation style and writing. The prologue was a little different (or maybe I should just say unexpected from a memoir), but I admit that I loved how it started. I got an immediate sense of Ms. Dana's writing style and her humor, and I thought I might be in for a treat -- and I was. As the book continued, the presentation definitely became more like a traditional memoir; however, I very much appreciated Ms. Dana's storytelling abilities.

However, it was the underlying messages in Ms. Dana's story that really made this book stand out to me. I loved how insightful the author was when it came to her childhood and eventually her adulthood. I also liked how there were so many delightful tidbits of wisdom thrown in -- especially from Cosmo. While I wasn't initially sure I could relate to Ms. Dana (and I'm still pretty sure we have very little in common), I found myself "getting" her. And then as she began to mature and realize what's important to her, I started to really care about the life lessons she was learning. And that's when it all started making sense, JUJITSU RABBI AND THE GODLESS BLONDE is a coming-of-age tale (of sorts) and I just love those!

JUJITSU RABBI AND THE GODLESS BLONDE is an extremely entertaining and highly original memoir. Highly recommend to fans of memoirs and coming-of-age stories.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

Review: Calling Me Home

Summary: Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler is a soaring debut interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s Kentucky with an unlikely modern-day friendship

Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favor to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis. It's a big one. Isabelle wants Dorrie, a black single mom in her thirties, to drop everything to drive her from her home in Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Cincinnati. With no clear explanation why. Tomorrow.

Dorrie, fleeing problems of her own and curious whether she can unlock the secrets of Isabelle's guarded past, scarcely hesitates before agreeing, not knowing it will be a journey that changes both their lives.

Over the years, Dorrie and Isabelle have developed more than just a business relationship. They are friends. But Dorrie, fretting over the new man in her life and her teenage son’s irresponsible choices, still wonders why Isabelle chose her.

Isabelle confesses that, as a willful teen in 1930s Kentucky, she fell deeply in love with Robert Prewitt, a would-be doctor and the black son of her family's housekeeper—in a town where blacks weren’t allowed after dark. The tale of their forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences makes it clear Dorrie and Isabelle are headed for a gathering of the utmost importance and that the history of Isabelle's first and greatest love just might help Dorrie find her own way. -- St. Martin's Press

One of the reasons that I agreed to be part of the She Reads network is that I love women's fiction. I was hoping that I might discover some new-to-me authors as well as some wonderful books. And that's exactly what happened to me when I read CALLING ME HOME by Julie Kibler.

CALLING ME HOME tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Isabelle and Dorrie and a trip that will forever change their lives. Isabelle is an 89 year old white woman who asks Dorrie, her African American hairdresser, to drive her from Texas to Ohio for a funeral. Isabelle doesn't give Dorrie much in the way of an explanation; however, Dorrie wants to help her friend despite having a few issues of her own on the home front. As these two women spend many hours in the car, Isabelle begins to open up to Dorrie about her past; and Dorrie finds that the lessons she learns about Isabelle's life have the power to make a difference in her own.

When I first read the description for CALLING ME HOME I thought it sounded like one I'd enjoy. I like books that explore female friendships (as well as unlikely ones), and I also find stories with flashbacks to be very entertaining (if done well!) Having said that, I admit that I didn't enter this book with high expectations. I was afraid that the story wasn't going to be original enough -- if that makes sense. I had a feeling that I'd read a few books like this before; however, I was pleasantly surprised by how much this novel affected me. I ended up really, really liking this book.

There were two main aspects of this novel that I really stood out for me. First of all, I loved the how Isabelle's and Dorrie's friendship was portrayed. Not only were these women different in both age and race, but they were also seemingly very different in personality. At the beginning of the novel, these women didn't have a close friendship -- it was more of a casual acquaintance; however, it was through their mutual sharing that this relationship grew into a special one. Furthermore, these women definitely had some issues with preconceived notions and judging each other. I loved that as their comfort level and respect towards each other grew, they learned to get past these ideas. As a result, their friendship became stronger, but they also grew as individuals. Maybe these changes weren't so much for Isabelle who was already an older women, but for Dorrie, these changes were extremely valuable and hopefully helped her to move forward with the relationships in her life.

Another aspect of this novel that I really enjoyed were the flashbacks to Isabelle's life growing up in Kentucky. Isabelle fell in love with a young black man who had aspirations to be a doctor in a time and town where whites and blacks weren't allowed to marry (or even have relationships for that matter.) Through these peeks into Isabelle's life, the reader was allowed to see a softer, side to Isabelle; and honestly, my heart just broke for her. There is no doubt that Isabelle had some secrets and darkness in her past which ended up affected her the rest of her life, and I think this story reminded me that lots of people have similar baggage. One of the lessons that I learned from this novel is that I need to be more understanding and compassionate towards others.

CALLING ME HOME is Ms. Kibler's debut novel and all I can say is "WOW!" I was so impressed with her writing and I loved that this story was partially inspired by her grandmother. I appreciated her character development as well as their dialogue, and I thought it all of it rang very true. In addition, she went back and forth between the present and the past stories very well (which isn't always the case) and her transitions between the two were very effective. Also, even though I did find the ending to be a bit predictable, I liked it -- and boy did it make me cry!

CALLING ME HOME is perfect for book clubs and especially ones made up of women. I wasn't able to find a reader's guide, but I have no doubt that you won't need one to generate some intelligent (and emotional) discussion. Some of the themes you might want to explore include racism, injustice, love, marriage, motherhood, friendship, trust, secrecy, forgiveness, and redemption. There are also many life lessons in the pages of this book which warrant some reflection.

Overall, I thought CALLING ME HOME was an excellent novel and I highly recommend it to fans of women's fiction!
 
Thanks to the publisher and She Reads for providing a review copy of this novel.