Julie KiblerRezensionen

KIRKUS REVIEWFrom 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.After having been Isabelle?s hairdresser for a decade, Dorrie thinks she knows Isabelle pretty well, even though Isabelle is a 90-something white woman and she is a 30-something black woman and even though Isabelle grew up privileged and she has struggled to begin her own shop. Over time, the women have bonded over shared stories, stories about Dorrie?s divorce and Isabelle?s favorite soap operas. And over time, they have become friends. Yet, when Isabelle asks Dorrie to drive her cross-country to a funeral, Dorrie is taken aback. It?s easy enough to ask her mother to care for her children, but telling Teague, her new boyfriend, is another matter. Their relationship is still new, still tentative, and Dorrie has been burned by men too often. Once on the road, Isabelle?s most secret story comes out. Growing up in a town that persecuted blacks who dared to stay after sunset, and under the thumb of a mother watching her daughter?s every movement, Isabelle was the last young woman the people of Shalerville, Ky., might have expected to fall in love with a black man. The repercussions of their love shattered their lives, their families, their futures. Yet, their story isn't finished, and Dorrie wonders what lingers and whose funeral they are headed toward. As she puts the puzzle of Isabelle together, Dorrie has worries of her own. Can she trust Teague? Why have her son and his girlfriend stopped planning for the prom? Kibler?s unsentimental eye makes the problems faced unflinchingly by these women ring true.Love and family defy the expected in this engaging tale.

This was so good! I almost decided to read it later since I initially thought it was all set in the 30's but the balance of modern narrator and the 30's narrator kept it from getting too heavy and made it a very quick listen for me. The story itself was heart wrenching and touching, the power of good people when your family just isn't 'good people' really comes through in this story.

Very good book - esp. for her first novel. Sad, but unfortunately, a very likely true depiction of what life was like back then.

I’ve had this novel on my TBR for awhile and I am so thankful I finally had the opportunity to sit down and read it. It is such a sad, depressing, yet endearing and uplifting tale that is based on a true story, and happened a few short miles from where I grew up, making this read all the more impactful.

The Berachah Industrial Home was a real place in Arlington, Texas in the 1930’s that existed to help women who where down on their luck, lending a helping hand to those that found themselves pregnant out of wedlock, or in a life of prostitution, drug addiction, and other issues. It was a religious outreach that focused on second chances, and it is one that changed the lives of many women who walked through its doors. For its time this was revolutionary, but was a much-needed outreach that I found fascinating existed.

Home for Erring and Outcast Girls is a dual timeline that focuses on some of the women at The Berachah, while the future is focused on two women that are researching the history of The Berachah. As to be expected, there are twists in each timeline, along with adult subjects of all kinds that some could find triggering. There is nothing graphically depicted, but was handled in a tasteful and respectful manner, which helped me not be as triggered.

The writing is so subversive that once I picked it up I seriously could not put this novel down, and read it in mere hours. I found myself absorbed in this world, emotionally attached to these women, and craved to see the outcome, whatever that may be. After I was finished I did some research and found out that the Berachah cemetery is still in Arlington near the University of Texas in Arlington which is mere minutes from where my own grandparents are buried, so the next time I go to visit their graves I plan on going by Berachah Home Cemetery and paying my respects to those buried there.

This was n incredibly powerful read that will stick with me for a long time. It has imprinted on my heart, reminding me that all women have a fight, have a story, and are so much stronger together.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.

Dos mujeres tan distintas como unidas emprenden un largo viaje en coche por Estados Unidos. Sus confidencias lo convertirán en un emocionante recorrido por el pasado y también por el presente. La anciana señorita Isabelle pide a su peluquera, Dorrie, que la acompañe a la otra punta del país para asistir a un funeral. Aunque esta madre soltera afroamericana de 36 años no podría ser más diferente de su clienta preferida, con los años ambas han desarrollado una complicidad muy especial. El sur de Estados Unidos a finales de los años treinta es un mundo regido por la segregación. Una adolescente blanca sueña con evadirse del entorno asfixiante de su familia privilegiada y de su pequeña ciudad. Pero cuando se fija en el hijo de la criada negra, su vida da un giro aún más dramático de lo que hubiera podido imaginar. Pronto se verá envuelta en una lucha por seguir los dictados de su corazón a pesar de los peligros y los prejuicios a los que deberá enfrentarse.

I have had this book on my TBR for some time since I loved Kibler's Calling Me Home. I felt this book was a bit long. Told in alternating timelines, it is the story of Mattie and Lizzie (in the early 1900s) and then Cate (told in present day). Cate is a librarian, and comes across information on The Home for Erring and Outcast Girls, and begins to find out about the lives of the women in the home. She feels a kinship towards them, especially as it relates to her own life, where she had a traumatic event as a teen, and a relationship that she left as a result.
This is a very sad story of women and the lives they were forced to live based on things that happened to them which were out of their control.

A good read with surprises. Recommended.

FROM AMAZON: 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.

“The color of their skin alone will determine the future.”

This is identifiably romantic drama, but it tells the truth. I can live with that. There are some decent people, but no pretending.

I know how true that (slightly altered to reduce the spoiler effect) line is, as people generally on some level do. I was so romantic; I really bought into the whole thing and wanted to believe in the whole thing. Hook line and sinker. (If love is good….) Eventually I changed in certain ways. There was a time I couldn’t have dreamt of touching a book like this; no, not for all the tea in China.

I don’t envy the people who with some consciousness of what’s happening choose, well, marriage. Well, I do envy them on a level or two, but I wouldn’t choose their condition, so I don’t really envy them. I find love in other ways. Yes, if the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad will go to the mountain.

But the stories the aged tell when they consider life’s journey are certainly worth hearing.

…. In the end, you always have to choose how to live your life.

In turn-of-the-20th century Texas, the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls is an unprecedented beacon of hope for young women consigned to the dangerous poverty of the streets by birth, circumstance, or personal tragedy. Built in 1903 on the dusty outskirts of Arlington, a remote dot between Dallas and Fort Worth’s red-light districts, the progressive home bucks public opinion by offering faith, training, and rehabilitation to prostitutes, addicts, unwed mothers, and “ruined” girls without forcibly separating mothers from children. When Lizzie Bates and Mattie McBride meet there—one sick and abused, but desperately clinging to her young daughter, the other jilted by the beau who fathered her ailing son—they form a friendship that will see them through unbearable loss, heartbreak, difficult choices, and ultimately, diverging paths.

A century later, Cate Sutton, a reclusive university librarian, uncovers the hidden histories of the two troubled women as she stumbles upon the cemetery on the home’s former grounds and begins to comb through its archives in her library. Pulled by an indescribable connection, what Cate discovers about their stories leads her to confront her own heartbreaking past, and to reclaim the life she thought she'd let go forever. With great pathos and powerful emotional resonance, Home for Erring and Outcast Girls explores the dark roads that lead us to ruin, and the paths we take to return to ourselves.

The author visited our Hideaeay reading groups and autographed her book.

FROM AMAZON: In turn-of-the-20th century Texas, the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls is an unprecedented beacon of hope for young women consigned to the dangerous poverty of the streets by birth, circumstance, or personal tragedy. Built in 1903 on the dusty outskirts of Arlington, a remote dot between Dallas and Fort Worth’s red-light districts, the progressive home bucks public opinion by offering faith, training, and rehabilitation to prostitutes, addicts, unwed mothers, and “ruined” girls without forcibly separating mothers from children. When Lizzie Bates and Mattie McBride meet there—one sick and abused, but desperately clinging to her young daughter, the other jilted by the beau who fathered her ailing son—they form a friendship that will see them through unbearable loss, heartbreak, difficult choices, and ultimately, diverging paths.

A century later, Cate Sutton, a reclusive university librarian, uncovers the hidden histories of the two troubled women as she stumbles upon the cemetery on the home’s former grounds and begins to comb through its archives in her library. Pulled by an indescribable connection, what Cate discovers about their stories leads her to confront her own heartbreaking past, and to reclaim the life she thought she'd let go forever. With great pathos and powerful emotional resonance, Home for Erring and Outcast Girls explores the dark roads that lead us to ruin, and the paths we take to return to ourselves.

This was a really good book with a great story told in a unique way. You will connect with these characters. Lot's of surprises and a wide range of emotions.

One of the best books I've ever read. Loved the way it challenged me, made me cry, and made me wonder what I would have done if I were in the character's shoes. Loved it!

I really did not think I would like this book club selection and listened to it begrudgingly. I was very wrong. I kept thinking that I knew who the funeral was for; I think I changed my mind a dozen times. I would have cried through the entire final 2 hours if I hadn't been in public. Even so, a few tears escaped.
That being said, I don't know if I would have gotten very far reading it myself, or I would have taken a very long time to get through it (what can I say, I am a fast-pacing kind of girl), but I highly suggest the audiobook. It was performed incredibly well by the two alternating readers.

Ambitious tale of interracial love in the early 40s -- way before the civil rights movement when at least the concept reached more people and gained more acceptance. 90 year old Isabelle McAllister (white)enlists the help of her hairdresser Dorrie (black) to drive her across the country to a funeral. As they journey, Isabelle tells the story of the lost love of her life, Robert (black)and the obstacles they faced trying to be together in the early 40s. The story alternates between the past and the present in Isabelle and Dorrie's voices and their friendship grows despite the age difference and cultural backgrounds. Sweet, but a little stilted.

I read "Calling Me Home" because I had read Julie Kibler's second book, "Home for Erring and Outcast Girls". Hopefully, there will be a third novel soon. Julie is an excellent author who draws one into the narrative by making her characters so very real and emotionally vulnerable. She writes of the historical times with authority showing the period has been well-researched. One becomes so enmeshed with the characters that they are almost like family. This is a great world-building book especially the way the world is turning in this day and time.

This is truly a thought-provoking book. Even if it is novel. (I think that is the best kind, don't you?) It truly shows how far women as a whole have come over the last century. Home is where we share each other's burdens. It does not have to be the home we were born into, nor the one we mistakenly or unwisely married into. It is the place where we can be safe and secure; where we can be happy and kind; where we can be our true selves because of the contentment in our soul and the unconditional love of others. Circumstances may play a large role in our lives for good or evil. It is how we live our lives despite our circumstances (or even because of our circumstances) that matters. A truly heart-warming story with all kinds of emotions and heartbreak thrown in. A must-read!

I absolutely loved this book about Isabelle - a nearly 90 year old white woman - and her friend, Dorrie - a 36 year old black woman, making a trip from Texas to Ohio for a funeral. Along the way, Isabelle tells Dorrie the story of the love of her life, Robert Prewitt, and Dorrie shares her life issues with Isabelle. Sadly, because Isabelle was white, and Robert was black, their love was forbidden. This is a story of heartbreak and love. It is beautifully handled by the author, and in her acknowledgements, she asks us to do better: “It’s up to you to be the change.”
In a world with so much racial division, this book reminds us that love is love, and it doesn’t care about the color of skin. If it weren’t for prejudice, Robert and Isabelle would have been free to love openly and without fear. Hopefully, one day, everyone will be able to love who they love without fear or hatred infringing upon that love. We still have a long way to go to make this a reality, but perhaps with books like this one, we can make a start.

#CallingMeHome #JulieKibler

This is a beautifully written book about two women facing a journey that will change their lives. 89-year-old Isabelle asks Dorrie, a single mother, to drive her to Cincinnati for a funeral. Along the way Isabelle shares her story of forbidden love in 1930's Kentucky. As a 17-year-old, Isabelle falls in love with the black son of her housekeeper. At this time, this was not acceptable and Isabelle and Robert faced insurmountable challenges. Dorrie is facing her own challenges as a single mother and through hearing Isabelle's story she realizes what is truly important. Isabelle and Dorrie form a bond so strong in spite of their age difference and the color of their skin. They are two women who love and need each other. This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go.

I solely wanted to read this book because of it's tittle and the cover photo. I had no idea what the book was about.

This is a historical fiction, but in the back of the book tells how some of the characters were real and the author either made up some of the story about them or changed there name.

I thought this was a terrific story. Very sad at times and I even got angry at times at what was done to these women in the story. I liked how the story went back in time and then to the present. It was sad and hard to read that some things didn't change between then and now, but made you really aware of what did and can happen in our world.

I will definitely be looking for more books by Julie Kibler. She knows how to tell a good story.
I give this 4 1/2 stars

This is one I probably wouldn't have finished except I was reading it for book club. It wasn't terrible, just not really anything special; and I'm sick of the "back and forth in time every other chapter" formula. I didn't connect with any of the main characters, Isabel, Robert, or Dorrie. I never once had that, "can't wait to see what happens next" feeling. The end made me cry though, and considering how little interest I had in the rest of the book that was kind of an accomplishment.

I own this in audiobook format, hardback autographed, and NOOK eBook formats. Good, but not a big favorite of mine. I attended an event in my community and as I collect autographed books I purchased one, then my reading group selected this as one of our books, and I was running out of time, so I used a credit for the audiobook. It didn't grab me and pull me in, I was fascinated by the historical facts and I've lived near the location of the home. Recommended.

FROM HAWL READERS SELECTION LIST: In turn-of-the-20th century Texas, the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls is an unprecedented beacon of hope for young women consigned to the dangerous poverty of the streets by birth, circumstance, or personal tragedy. Built in 1903 on the dusty outskirts of Arlington, a remote dot between Dallas and Fort Worth’s red-light districts, the progressive home bucks public opinion by offering faith, training, and rehabilitation to prostitutes, addicts, unwed mothers, and “ruined” girls without forcibly separating mothers from children. When Lizzie Bates and Mattie McBride meet there—one sick and abused, but desperately clinging to her young daughter, the other jilted by the beau who fathered her ailing son—they form a friendship that will see them through unbearable loss, heartbreak, difficult choices, and ultimately, diverging paths.

A century later, Cate Sutton, a reclusive university librarian, uncovers the hidden histories of the two troubled women as she stumbles upon the cemetery on the home’s former grounds and begins to comb through its archives in her library. Pulled by an indescribable connection, what Cate discovers about their stories leads her to confront her own heartbreaking past, and to reclaim the life she thought she'd let go forever. With great pathos and powerful emotional resonance, Home for Erring and Outcast Girls explores the dark roads that lead us to ruin, and the paths we take to return to ourselves.

The Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls was founded in 1903 on the outskirts of Arlington, Texas by Reverend James T. Upchurch and his wife Maggie May Upchurch. Inspired by this history, Julie Kibler brings to life the Berachah Home in Home for Erring and Outcast Girls in an emotional story about acceptance and about the family we find and introduces me to history I may never otherwise have learned.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/12/home-for-erring-and-outcast-girls.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

THE HOME FOR ERRING AND OUTCAST GIRLS by Julie Kibler
I had a hard time reviewing this book. There are two concurrent stories in the book. One concerns the Berachah Home in Arlington Texas (1903 -1935) that was supported by the Nazarene Church and was unusual in that unmarried, but pregnant, girls were not just encouraged to keep their child, but were given a home for themselves and their child for life if necessary and training for a job if they wished to leave with their child. The second story concerned a librarian in Arlington in 2017 and the college student she has befriended.
The Berachah story is excellent. The librarian story is strained, unnecessary, has little to do with the Berachah Home and makes the book entirely too long. I kept waiting for the author to reveal a connection between the two stories – it didn’t happen.
So… read the story about the Berachah Home and skip all the parts about the librarian. You will have a really good read about an actual Home that did good work for the duration of its existence. The research is impeccable and the girl’s stories are interesting and well written. Lizzie and Mattie’s stories are based on real people and are heart rending.
5 of 5 stars for the Berachah story
2 of 5 stars for the Librarian story

In the early 1900's, Lizzie and Mattie met at the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls. In the present day, Cate, a librarian, stumbles across a cemetery, with a placard for the Berachah Home. She uncovers an archives outlining the home's history, and shares this knowledge with a younger student.

I was a bit disappointed with this book. None of the characters seemed to have much of a personality. They all blended together after a while. The present day story line was completely unnecessary and did not add anything to the story. Overall, a bust.

Celebrating this book's BIRTHDAY finishing up my read through of an ARC I won via shelf awareness. Definitely a great example of what historical fiction can be, while the story flits between past and present, the author keeps us firmly rooted in the moment no matter what time period we may be in. You won't soon forget this cast of characters, nor the home that helped them become a family with bonds that run deeper than mere blood, nor their stories anchored in truth yet embellished to more fully form a complete portrait, nor how it feels to be part of a whole.