Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
Review by Mirah Welday (mwelday)
Dorrie and Isabelle have what many call an unconventional relationship. Isabelle: eighty-nine years old, white, set in her ways, and facing the realities of secrets she has kept all of her life. Dorrie: single mom in her thirties, black, business owner, and dealing with issues of trust and acceptance. Somehow, these two forge a relationship akin to granddaughter/grandmother when Isabelle begins seeing Dorrie regularly for haircuts.
When Isabelle approaches Dorrie with the request for her to drive Isabelle from Texas to Ohio the following day in order to go to a funeral, Dorrie accepts even though she is not clear on the details. The resulting road trip brings Dorrie and Isabelle even closer. Isabelle shares memories with Dorrie that explain her guarded life and deepen the connection between the two women.
Calling Me Home is the quest of one woman to find closure and acceptance to events that happened to her many years before, events that she has never fully been able to move beyond. Both women are warm characters with connections that deepen their love and appreciation for one another. And one is able to learn how to navigate today’s world and relationships by learning from what happened to another many years before.
Love comes from all kinds of places, some of which are totally unexpected. Kibler reminds us in Calling Me Home to be open to love from others even when our differences seem so insurmountable. I give this novel a heartfelt 5 stars.
Tags: Book Recommendations, Book Reviews, Book Suggestions, historical fiction
