Customer Reviews

Heart's Calling

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I loved reading this book. I thought "Heart'sCalling" was incredibly evocative. I could picture the people,hear the conversations, and almost even imagine the (ugh) smells! I read the book mostly on the bus to and from work, and at least once per trip I'd find myself snickering and laughing and grimacing to such an extent that the people in the surrounding seats would look at me as if I were a refugee client from the Second Avenue Shelter itself. The author has managed to capture and convey the essence of several subcultures and societal fringe dwellers: social service providers, drug users, those who pursue mental health (and those who should but don't), volunteers, college students, liberals, conservatives, radical vegetarian anarchist food hippies, you name it. What's more, he's managed to unite us all with a common thread of humanity and shred of decency. "Heart's Calling" applies to more workplaces and life experiences than you might think. My previous job was at a Pacific Northwest healthcare software company, not some emergency shelter in the Midwest. The read still rings true to me.

There's a certain magic about the kind of people who are drawn to work in emergency services, a strange and wonderful electricity between them and in their interactions with their clients. I've been trying to explain it to "outsiders" for years. This book does a better job than I could ever hope to. From now on, if anyone asks me what my work is like, or what my life has been like, I'm just going to give them a copy of "Heart's Calling", a glass of red wine, and some good cheese and dark chocolate.

My sister called me long distance a few weeks ago to tell me about "Heart's Calling" by Michael DiBenedetto. Recently I called her back to thank her for recommending it. This is definitely one of those books where you tell yourself "Just one more chapter and then I'll turn off the light", except then one chapter turns into three and before you know it the clock says 2 a.m.--but then, I guess lack of sleep is a small price to pay in return for the enjoyment a book like this offers. I found the images vivid and the dialogue realistic, and by the last chapter I felt a little wistful because, as strange as this may sound, I knew these characters were leaving my life, and I wasn't ready yet! I felt as if I had come to know these people, especially the lead character, Michael Allen. It was like I had known him for years. I understand this guy. A question for the author: When is the sequel?

I read this book in a matter of five days. I had a difficult time putting it down and couldn't wait to pick it up again. I found the characters to be intriquing. They made me constantly try to guess what they would do next. Even though my guess was wrong, I was more pleased with the writer's endings than my own. I went from disliking Michael to having great sympathy for him to finally cheering him on. I especially enjoyed the ending. Even though I didn't want it to end that way, it was very touching and left me a lot to think about. This was a wonderfully written book.