Debut novelist julie kibler began writing calling me home after learning a bit of family history. The sites mashable book club started out as an informal, internal group that met at its offices in the flatiron district, but after members began to write about it online, followers asked if. Its a historical fiction read that deals with interracial marriage, civil rights, parenting and womens rights. Calling me home by julie kibler is a soaring debut interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s kentucky with an unlikely modernday friendship.
Have i shared with you the wonderful book club i am in. Reading guide for calling me home by julie kibler bookbrowse. Julie kibler has written an original and moving debut novel that will linger with you for a long, long time. My book club read this book and out of nine women from all walks of life, none of us like it some actually hated it. Eightynineyearold isabelle mcallister has a favour to ask her hairdresser dorrie curtis. The entire novel alternates chapters between modern day and 1939 through the early 1940s, but the first two chapters introduce dorrie curtis and isabelle mcallister as the main characters in modern day.
Isabelle wants dorrie, a black single mom in her thirties, to drop everything to drive isabelle from her home in arlington, texas, to a funeral in cincinnati. Overall everyone in our group loved the book and was bawling at the end. I suggest this book for a road trip because you wont want to turn it off. Calling me home is a beautiful story that successfully deals with many topics.
Poulsen had me hooked within the first couple of chapters and i found it so hard to put the book down. From an extraordinary new voice in fiction comes a haunting, powerful novel about mothers and daughters, choice and regret, the mistakes we make and the ones we hope we can correct before its too late. Whats the story set in present day and the 1930s, 89yearold woman isabelle mcallister enlists her hairdresser, a black single mother named dorrie curtis, to help drive her from her home in arlington, texas, to a funeral in cincinnati. We tell stories big and small, funny stories, complex stories, those that shine a light on where women are at right now and those that help chart a new path forward. Calling me home is perfect for book clubs and especially ones made up of women. There are a couple lawyers, a dr, a teacher, a flight attendant, other professionals and stay. Only at target, find the january, 2014, club pick calling me home. Jun 20, 20 before i started reading calling me home, i knew that this was pan macmillans lead fiction debut of 20, 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 kiblers debut novel. Calling me home target club pick jan 2014 paperback.
She has a bachelors degree in english and journalism and a masters degree in library science and lives with her family, including four rescued dogs and cats, in texas. Founded by reese witherspoon, were a media brand anchored in storytelling, creating and discovering content that celebrates women and puts them at the center of the story. Aug 21, 20 this was a book club read with the super awesome northwest houston book club and something really exciting happened at the meeting. Calling me home was a beautiful, emotionally charged, allconsuming story of love and loss. Im thrilled to feature calling me home by julie kibler on story matters today. I wont spoil the book by going on and on about it for 2 reasons 1. Book club discussion for calling me home she reads. Calling me home by casondra poulsen reading guidebook. It will be made into a movie, it was a pulpwood queen and she reads book club selection and several authors posted it on their must read lists. Im always delighted to learn a book club has selected home for erring and outcast girls or calling me home.
Eightynineyearold isabelle mcallister has a favor to ask her hairdresser dorrie curtis. Its a journey that changes both their lives, as she learns isabelles tale of a forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences a tale that just might help dorrie find. For an avid reader, little can match the thrill of a character pulling you into her world the second she arrives on the page as isabelle does in the opening page of calling me home. Calling me home is right up there, perhaps in the lead now. Book club discussion for calling me home by julie kibler is happening now. Kibler illuminates racial tensions many of us dont realize still exist in this country, and shows how small acts of faith can make big inroads to acceptance. Call me home has an epic scope in the tradition of louise erdrichs the plague of doves or marilynne robinsons housekeeping and braids the stories of a family in three distinct voices. Calling me home signed 1st 1st julie kibler softcover for. Discussion questions for calling me home book worth reading. Ive already posted the first set of questionsthoughts and will continue to update all week. Calling me home tells two stories, that of isabelle mcallister and of dorrie curtis. Watch our latest book club video where magics angie graves chats to author julie kibler about her book calling me home which tells the. While there are only two narrators, at times calling me home reads as if there are three distinct voicesbecause isabelles younger voice recounting her forbidden love with a black man in the racially tense 1940s, is often measured, lacking the present day cantankerous verve promised in her selfintroduction.
Isabelle, a 90yearold white woman from kentucky, asks dorrie, a 40something black woman from texas, to bring her from where they live, arlington, texas, up to cincinnati, ohio. But mostly its about forbidden love and a friendship that, sadly, society still doesnt wholeheartedly support. Aug 20, 2012 calling me home was a beautiful, emotionally charged, allconsuming story of love and loss. Julie kibler is the bestselling author of home for erring and outcast girls and calling me home, which was an indienext list pick, target club pick, and ladies home journal book club pick, published in fifteen languages. Not because its good it is, though, but because it was the first she reads book chosen after i became the she reads twitter chat and online discussion leader. But overall i didnt like it and only gave it three stars for the very last page which did kind of make me shed a tear. Calling me home was one of the best books ive read this year and definitely one of the best books ive ever read. Book club books book nerd book lists good books my books reading books book suggestions book recommendations best biographies the 40 best biographies you may not have read yet not only are they informative and interesting, but the very best biographies are as entertaining, compelling, engaging, and pageturning as fiction. Calling me home was keenly conceived, impeccably plotted, and beautifully written.
I have seldom been as excited to see a musical as i was to see calling me home at the joburg theatre last night. Isabelle wants dorrie, a black single mom in her thirties, to drop everything to drive her from her home in arlington. Calling me home by julie kibler reading guidebook club. Amy, who leaves her texas home at nineteen to start a new life with a man she barely knows, and her two children, jackson and lydia, who are rocked by their parents abusive relationship. I belong to a neighborhood book club that i try to attend every month. And it was you, your book, the joy luck club opened up that dialogue in the last year of my moms life.
Julie kiblers debut novel, calling me home, holds a special place in my heart. Today my book club was lucky enough to have author julie kibler visit and talk about her book, calling me home overall everyone in our group loved the book and was bawling at the end. Calling me home by casondra poulsen reading guidebook club. When not writing, kibler enjoys travel, independent films, music, photography, and corralling her teenagers and rescue dogs. Calling me home by julie kibler is a soaring debut interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s kentucky with an unlikely modernday friendship eightynineyearold isabelle mcallister has a favor to ask her hairdresser dorrie curtis.
In calling me home by julie kibler, eightynineyearold isabelle mcallister has a favor to ask her hairdresser dorrie curtis. Discussion questions for calling me home book worth. If you were a fan of calling me home dont miss out. Calling me home book ottawa public library bibliocommons. Calling me home by julie kibler is a soaring debut interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s kentucky with an unlikely modernday friendship eightynineyearold isabelle mcallister has a favor to ask her hairdresser, dorrie curtis. I acted hateful to dorrie the first time we met, a decade or so ago. Reading guide for calling me home by julie kibler discussion guide for book clubs. Everything you need to know about calling me home movie. Calling me home by julie kibler is a soaring debut interweaving. I wasnt able to find a readers guide, but i have no doubt. Jan 16, 2014 julie kibler, author of calling me home calling me home is your first book, julie and it made quite a splash. Calling me home is a tenderly wrought story of love and secrets, heartbreak and healing, and the remarkable power of friendship to heal two women who find each other across the lines of time, generation, and race.
Calling me home book club kit omaha public library. Not only is this the she reads bookofthemonth pick, but its my favorite she reads selection to date. Yes, julie kibler who has an awesome name called our book club and had an hourlong conversation with us about her awesome book. Calling me home by julie kibler, is available only to members. Calling home by janna mcmahan from an extraordinary new voice in fiction comes a haunting, powerful novel about mothers and daughters, choice and regret, the mistakes we make and the ones we hope we can correct before its too late. Barbara delinsky, new york times bestselling author of escape and not my daughter book club recommendations recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members. Julie kiblers calling me home is the she reads february book club selection.
The first section contains the first two chapters of calling me home. Calling me home is a story about love in its many incarnationsin romance, friendships, and families. Eightynineyearold isabelle mcallister has a big favor to ask her hairdresser, dorrie. Oct 02, 2017 i give the author kudos for this being her first book and telling her families story. There are so many issues discussed her and it is hard to believe how citizens acted. This was a book club selection, and definitely a book outside my. Calling me home target club pick jan 2014 paperback signed. You can discuss the book and enter to win one of ten copies. The readers of this book made me feel like they were sitting on my sofa talking to me. I give the author kudos for this being her first book and telling her families story. Alternating between the present and 193040s, the author draws you into the lives and conversations between an elderly white woman and a young black hairdresser as they drive from texas to ohio.
I listened to the audio version of calling me home and absolutely loved it. I have compiled a list of great books for your next book club. Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our pro connect email alert. When i wrote my first novel, calling me home, i had no idea how excited book clubs would be about reading and discussing the story, or how many clubs id be.
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