Calling Me Home, Julie Kibler
Calling Me Home, Julie Kibler
27 Rating(s)
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

Calling Me Home

Author: Julie Kibler

Narrator: Bahni Turpin, Lorna Raver

Unabridged: 13 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/12/2013

Synopsis

A soaring debut interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s Kentucky with an unlikely modern-day friendshipEighty-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 mother in her thirties, to drop everything and 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.

About Julie Kibler

Julie Kibler began writing her debut novel, Calling Me Home, after learning a bit of family lore: as a young woman, her grandmother fell in love with a young black man in an era and locale that made the relationship impossible. When not writing, she enjoys travel, independent films, music, photography, and corralling her teenagers and rescue dogs. She lives in Arlington, Texas.

About Bahni Turpin

Bahni Turpin is an experienced audiobook narrator and actress who has appeared in numerous television productions as well as films. An ensemble member of the Cornerstone Theater Company, she also works as a yoga instructor. She currently resides in Los Angeles, where she founded the SoLA Food Co-op.

About Lorna Raver

Lorna Raver, named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year, has received numerous Audie nominations and AudioFile Earphones Awards. An experienced stage actress, she has also guest-starred on many top television series and starred in director Sam Raimi’s film Drag Me to Hell. Among her many Blackstone titles are The Age of Innocence, Up from Orchard Street, The Lodger, Selected Readings from the Portable Dorothy Parker, and Diamond Ruby.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Julie on December 18, 2012

I hope you enjoy Calling Me Home! Thank you for reading and spreading the word if you like it!......more

Goodreads review by Christy on April 20, 2015

5+ Stars Calling Me Home is an unforgettable book. It’s tragically beautiful, heart wrenching and devastating to read. Forbidden love at it’s finest. This was a book that completely flew under my radar. I’m so happy a friend recommended it to me and I picked it up. Even though it wasn’t an easy re......more

Goodreads review by Michael on December 28, 2021

This is a touching, heartbreaking story in which Isabelle, a white woman who is 89 years young, asks a favor of Dorrie, her Black hairdresser and friend who is in her 30s. Isabelle wants Dorrie to drive her all the way from Texas to Cincinnati…and Dorrie is only aware that it’s for a funeral. Dorrie......more

Quotes

“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, New York Times bestselling author

“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, New York Times bestselling author

“Julie Kibler grabbed me on the very first page and didn’t let go…What a marvel of a debut novel. Black and white, young and old, searching and missing and finding in each other a special understanding, companionship, and love, these characters are real and addictive. Calling Me Home was keenly conceived, impeccably plotted, and beautifully written.” Barbara Delinsky, New York Times bestselling author

“Calling Me Home is journey into the heart where secrets hide and love reigns. Across the bridge of race and generation, Julie Kibler brings together two who profoundly influence each other as they reveal their stories and their heartbreak. With a stunning plot twist, Kibler reminds the reader that things aren’t always as they appear and love has its own life.” Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author

“Touching and unforgettable, Julie Kibler’s Calling Me Home is the kind of story that pulls you in from page one, grips your heart, and absolutely won’t let go.” Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author

“A rousing debut about forbidden love and unexpected friendships over the span of six decades…Drawing from her own family history in Texas, Kibler relays a familiar story in a fresh way.” Publishers Weekly

“A moving tale of young, idealistic love in a headlong conflict with the reality of the injustices of that era…Kibler’s story touches on multiple historical aspects of racial inequality and segregation as well as the lingering prejudice still evident in modern times.” Library Journal

“Kibler has crafted a wholly original debut.” Booklist

“From East Texas to Cincinnati, from present-day racism to 1930s segregation, Isabelle and Dorrie travel together, a most unlikely pair of companions, and their stories unfold…Love and family defy the expected in this engaging tale.” Kirkus Reviews

“Clear your schedule before you open up this thoroughly engaging book. Calling Me Home is a story about love in its many incarnations—in romance, friendships, and families; loves lost, and love regained. Kibler illuminates racial tensions many of us don’t realize still exist in this country and shows how small acts of faith can make big inroads to acceptance. I closed the final page with a smile and a tear, humbled and eager to embrace life.” Margaret Dilloway, author of How to Be an American Housewife

Awards

  • Indie Next List
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