Calling Home [Paperback]

Janna McMahan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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 it's too late.

Nothing much ever happens in Falling Rock, Kentucky. So when Virginia Lemmons' husband takes off in his Trans Am to take up with a beautician, there's not much to do but what people in rural Kentucky have always done--get on with it. Now, overwhelmed and unsure, Virginia's got her hands full trying to keep it together, body and soul, while raising her two teenage kids--eighteen-year-old son, Will, and her spirited fourteen-year-old daughter, Shannon.

But Shannon has her own ideas for breaking free of Falling Rock, and in her reckless, wild-child daughter, Virginia sees echoes of herself and her own painful past. She'll do whatever it takes to keep her daughter from making the same tragic mistakes, and saving what's left of her fragile family just may be the biggest fight of Virginia's life.

In this compelling, heartbreaking first novel, Janna McMahan brings to authentic life the dreams, passions, and troubles of one southern town, where choice isn't always easy to come by, and living the hand you're dealt with is a grace all its own.

"A beautifully wrought novel populated by a vivid cast of characters...Janna McMahan takes us completely into the lives of these people and their small town, presenting this world with authenticity and dignity. I absolutely loved this book and will carry it with me for a long time." --Silas House

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; Uncorrected Proof edition (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758221967
• ISBN-13: 978-0758221964
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #410,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Book You Will Fall in Love With, August 1, 2008

By	Jordyn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Calling Home (Paperback)

I picked up this book in a grocery store on my lunch break, just needing something to pass the time. I did not expect much from this story, but upon cracking the spine, I almost immediately dove into the story- finding myself fifteen minutes late back from lunch because I just couldn't put the book down. I then found myself stealing away five minutes here and there, and when I got home, I finished the story in one remaining sitting. It was not a "grab you by the seat of your pants" kind of story, but it was one that you did not want to stop journeying along with.
Both main characters, the mom and the 14 year old daughter, are struggling women trying to get over the loss of their husband/father when he walks out of their lives to live DOWN THE ROAD with a new beautician. Though one would expect the author to center the story around the bitter anger toward the cheating husband, Janna McMahan weaves together a beautiful story, like poetry, and pulls in strong co-staring characters. The daugher's first boyfriend, whom I personally fell in love with; the southern- gossipy type neighbors; the new romantic interests in the mother's life; and yes, even the husband gets a part in the story and I don't hate him as much.
This was a wonferful story and I definitely cried at the end with bittersweet tears- and I'll admit I was ANGRY at the daughter for her decision!!! But was well worth the trip to the grocery store, as well as the angry words spewing from my boss' mouth that one day.
Great read- very much enjoyed.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Calling Home by Janna McMahan, February 5, 2008

By	Susan Crane "Tennis778" (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Calling Home (Paperback)

What a wonderful novel !!! This book is so real and captivating I stayed up all night reading it. Janna McMahan's very real account of Shannon's struggle to become an adult made me feel a variety of emotions for her. Pain, sadness, frustration and finally, hope. This story is so real and compelling it has happened or could have happened to any woman anywhere in America. It's wonderfully written. Don't miss it !!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich New Novel, February 18, 2008

By	Julia A. Prater (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Calling Home (Paperback)

McMahan has beautifully developed her characters in this special novel. Telling the story alternating from the perspective of different characters gives a depth of insight into her characters. Her descriptions of Kentucky and tobacco farming are beautiful and real. Calling Home is a story of survival from the perspective of personal challenges to that of the family farm in America to that of a community following a major natural disaster. McMahan weaves it all together in a heart-wrenching tale that you can't put down. I look forward to more work from this fine writer.