4.5 starts Thank you to Netgalley and Sea Dragon Press for the e-ARC. This book was so much and I was here for it all. The things the characters went thru OMGeeee the relationships, the friendships, the tragedies everything was so well written. I will say that even though the ending was not my favorite I am here for it. Loved this book and the writing was exquisite.

Call My Name is a compelling, sweeping saga that deftly deals with just about every theme and unpredictable plot twist a reader can imagine. I read it straight through and appreciated everything in it that considered an inviolable friendship between two women. motherhood, families, and the atrocities of war. The fictional story is wrenching and full of both joy and tragedy, and at the same time, Ogden gently considers the topics (sometime controversial) of abortion, adoption, surrogacy, and assisted suicide. Ogden's delicate and fragile examination of life, love, motherhood, death, and determination is masterful and touching.

Thank you to Net Galley and Sea Dragon Press for the opportunity to read this marvelous book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the privilege of reading this book.

What a gift Jenni Ogden has given us in “Call My Name”. It is a raw and complex read, especially concerning grief, friendship, love and motherhood. We get to know every character in this story so intimately, even the children, so we feel their joys and sorrows as well as the adults.

I was unable to put this book down for the most part. Then “Call My Name” was so intense and my own emotions tied to the story so deeply that I had to take a few “breathers”, but got right back into it. I love that in a story - where I am so drawn it, I just need to take a breath. It shows the magnitude of the author’s gift to truly bring characters to life.

In this amazing novel, Odgen brings out the true gift of lifelong friendship and describes in detail what it means to to lose and grieve for a family member, to be a mother and a daughter, a wife, and to have people by your side when life throws those “Why is this happening?” things our way. This novel is a powerful and inspirational story - one I keep talking about and will not forget. Ogden’s in-depth research and the story within the story on the “White Coolies” sparked my interest and has inspired me to further my own research on those brave women of war. The description of that book is: “an amazing story of courage, determination, ingenuity and resilience.”.... exactly what we find in “Call My Name”. I loved this book and recommend it wholeheartedly and wish I could rate with more than 5 stars.

🌴🌏Saga of an extended family: compelling & frequently heartbreaking💔

I found this Australia-set story both wonderful and sad, sometimes heartbreakingly so. Told from the point of view of Olivia, the main character, it extends over decades and generations, encompassing some parts dating back to WWII, through to the 1990's. It's a tale of family, tight friendship tested by tragedy, romantic and parental love that holds despite the curve balls thrown their way.

The finale I was not expecting and I thought it was one of the most moving parts of the novel. And it had a lot of competition. Olivia learns the harsh history of her mother's experiences as a Japanese prisoner in Sumatra and starts to make sense of her tragic deterioration and death, leaving Olivia a 13 year-old New Zealand orphan. As she matures Olivia faces more brutal loss and unfathomable grief. Her foster family is a crucial support as she makes her way through each new hardship. Children are a vital part of this tale both uniting and driving wedges between the adults who love them.

I found the female characters especially well-drawn and complex. Olivia and her foster sister Cassandra are no angels. Ogden has created real women here and their flaws make their devotion to their families all the more interesting.

In addition to the often-tested family dynamic, the story touches on many social issues including abortion, overseas adoption, child mortality, surrogacy, debilitating disease and euthanasia.

It's quite a compelling journey through time and emotion. I loved Ogden's The Moon is Missing and was really looking forward to reading where her next work would take me. I was definitely not disappointed!

Thanks to the author, Sea Dragon Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There are not nearly enough books about friendship between women that span lifetimes. This is a wonderful read, however there are some shocking scenes that may be triggering for some. So much adversity happening may be off putting to some readers or even cause them to disengage but I think it's worth sticking to the end. It's an unusual book and I would be careful the audience I recommend it to.

I have read all three of Jenni Ogden's novels and love them all! They are each very different but all are well crafted - the settings are wonderfully descriptive - the characters are well-written and easy relatable - and each plot is intriguing. This novel, Call My Name, is a compelling multigenerational story - spanning from the 1960's through 1990's. It deals with contemporary issues - very relevant for our times and it delves into both sides of the issues. It is a powerful drama involving family, friends, and motherhood. It is heart wrenching and emotional.
An exceptional read!

“And there it was, my future set out before me in that single two-second interaction.”

Let me start by saying that I’d rather have a round character who has had hardships over a flat character who knows nothing of the world.

That being said, I felt the author walked a thin line on too many controversial issues and the pain the characters continually faced couldn’t often be resolved. This makes it difficult for the reader to stay engaged in a story. Had the pacing been steamrolled a little, I might have (1) been more interested in hanging on through the flat stretches of road and (2) given the author a break for not allowing me to indulge in her character’s few-and-far-between moments of happiness. This, mixed with a tendency to tell not show added to the already too heavy burden I was carrying as a reader.

Do you stay interested when characters experience too much suffering? If it advances the plot and a character wants to change, I keep reading. If it deepens my understanding of a character and it reveals their hidden strengths or lack of them, I keep reading. I challenge you to read this and see if you feel enough sympathy for the characters to keep reading. I understood Olivia’s quest for a real family and her drive to have a family of her own and I could see where the author wanted to go with this book - I just didn’t want to go there! I read to be uplifted and entertained and this book needed a different mindset.

If you hang on you’ll journey for 30 years along with the characters through their experience with a drug overdose, a WW2 prison camp in Sumatra, rape, abortion, the protest movement, the hippie movement, adoption, Operation Baby Lift, surrogacy, terminal illness, euthanasia, and depression. It is definitely a family saga highlighting feminism and exploring motherhood, friendships and freedoms that you will need to (1) devote time to reading and (2) have a box of tissues handy.

You’ll be left with the urge to break into song with Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend” as well as a potent reminder that we are all one decision away from a completely different life.

I was gifted this advance copy by Sea Dragon Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

“And there it was, my future set out before me in that single two second interaction. The Drama, the dominance, the manipulation, the generosity, the smothering, the wealth and education and land and privilege—the startling wonder of this almost woman from a world I’d never even dreamed I’d enter.” - Quote from Jenni Odgen's "Call My Name" which truly encapsulates the rocky friendship of Olivia and Cassandra, but only scratches the surface of the book as a whole.
An emotional, slow burn saga of friendship and found family. “Call My Name” had some absolutely stunning prose and visceral scenes. I felt myself moved to tears on more than one occasion. I enjoyed the accurate depiction of real-life friendship—how it’s not always a linear line of steadily increasing love and devotion. It’s messy. Jenni Ogden wove an authentic tale that tugs at the heartstrings.
That being said, this truly is a SLOW burn and the pacing might not be everyone’s cup of tea. There's far more "exposition" than "action." This book also tackles some truly heavy subject matter (like a*ortion), which might be triggering for some. Would recommend to the right reader. 3.5 Star read for me.
Thanks to the publisher and author for the honor of reading an ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An intensely powerfully heartbreaking story. The storyline is very well written I just would have liked to have seen a little bit more light for the characters but other than that I immensely enjoyed reading this from start to finish. This is a new to me author but I will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author as she writes in a way that really has you feeling for the characters, with an immensely engaging storyline. Highly recommend.


Her mother dead from a drug overdose, thirteen-year-old Olivia is rescued by Cathie Tulloch, her mother’s friend throughout the years they were held captive in Japanese prison camps in Sumatra in WWII. Welcomed into the Tulloch’s remote family home in the Australian tropics, introverted Olivia is claimed by dramatic, generous, controlling Cassandra Tulloch as her sister and best friend. Moving to the UK at 18, Olivia finds her independence — and partner Ben. But in 1970, after five years away, she is homesick, and ready to fulfill her long-held dream: to make a family of her own. But when the unimaginable happens, destroying the friendship with Cassandra that has been her bedrock for so long, Olivia tells herself that she doesn’t deserve a family, nor a place to call home.

Jenni Ogden's Call My Name begins with a bang and doesn't slow down. The story will grip you from the beginning pages, discussing topics like women's rights and violent crimes against women in war time as well as adoption, infant loss, and surrogacy. The hard times that the two main characters go through are inexplicably difficult and heartbreaking, but the courage "under fire" through it all is incredible. I recommend this book to readers who can hang on for a decades long trip through time with Olivia and Cassandra and watch their friendship grow.

This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last. This is a gut wrenching, heartbreaking, sad yet beautiful story of love, friendships, loss. Laughter, tears, anger and separation. Friendships tested almost beyond repair. Marriages from the heart and soul. Love can withstand almost anything. This book is both beautifully written and so full of feeling it literally hurts while reading it. It will leave you breathless.

I throughly love this book. I was not disappointed in any way whatsoever. From the very first it pulled me in and took hold of my heart. I shed so many tears reading this book. So much sadness and so much happiness too. Four friends who are almost inseparable from the start. Cassandra and Sebastian, Olivia and Ben. Two couples who love each other unconditionally even when they think they don't. What they go through is so much more than you would think anyone can withstand. Especially Olivia and Ben. Their losses are the ones that are almost unbearable. But with their friends they do persevere. They build a new life and find a happiness that will take them through anything.

Olivia losses her mother as you will read in the synopsis. She then goes to live with her mother's best friend from years before and becomes Cassandra's best friend. Cassandra is their daughter. They go through a lot of ups and downs but are as close as any two sisters. Until something so horrible happens that Olivia finds herself staying away. She only returns to Cassandra when things are so bad that her best friend is almost lost to her forever.

This story is about life in the 60s, 70s and 80s. All the things that happened during those times in Australia. From legal abortion to being able to carry a baby for another woman who can no longer have children. From the fight women had to fight for their rights to certain things. From how horrible even doctors treated a pregnant woman. Much like here in the US right? Times were horrible but doable in many ways. From learning about what all happened to her mother in a Japanese POW camp Olivia comes to terms with her mother's death finally. I didn't like Olivia much for a while in this book but by the end I truly loved her. She was whiny in ways that she should not have been. Jealous in silly ways too. But when push came to shove she bucked up and was there for Cassandra. Cassandra was the strong one too. Go figure.

This book will make you laugh in places. Get angry in places and I assure you it will make you weep. Big fat ugly tears. It's just that kind of story. Historical fiction, Women's fiction. It has it all. It's one you do not want to miss. I promise. It's that good.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JenniOgden, #SeaDragonPress, #iReadBookTours for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars and the highest recommendation. Grab this one.

I’m absolutely overwhelmed! Call My Name by Jenni Ogden was an emotional roller coaster. I’m left exhausted. It’s not very often that I feel such raw emotion that I find myself crying! The pain and joy that many of the characters go through is so real and intense but Olivia, the central character, even more so, as her life is also full of ongoing tragedies that are almost too too much.

Superbly written with a plot that leaves you spell bound with realistic and believable characters who take you on their journey. So many emotional issues - motherhood, friendship, families, adoption, surrogacy, the death of children, incurable diseases……

On a lighter note - the location was wonderful. From Brisbane to Far North Queensland with beautiful beaches and warm weather. The descriptions were captivating.

Highly recommended read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from Sea Dragon Press and author Jenni Ogden via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

What a great story! It recounts the story of two friends Olivia and Cassandra who are almost sisters. Cassandra's parents took Olivia in as their foster child when the girls were young and they grew up as sisters and friends. But this is more than just their story even though their two are the central characters; it's also a multi generation tale of their family, friends and those they love. At one time, for example, Olivia and her husband shared a house and lived together with Cassandra and her mate. I loved this beautifully written touching novel! I cant wait to read more from Jenni Ogden. Check it out for an entertaining read! I recommend it.

Call My Name is one of my favorite books this year. Once I started reading, it was very difficult to put it away and go to sleep. This is a story about family and friends, hot topics during the 70’s and 80’s, love and happiness as well as love and sorrow. It is a great read that makes you care about the characters; you may hate some and love others. It will make you laugh and cry. This is my first book written by Jenni Ogden, but definitely not my last!
This is my honest opinion of this ARC from Sea Dragon Press and NetGalley.

#Jenni Ogden, #Sea Dragon Press, #Australia, #New Zealand,

Whilst I absolutely adored the writing style of the book, there were a few things that lowered the rating for me.
The main thing, for me, was the pacing. There were times when nothing seemed to be happening and then all of a sudden the worst possible thing that could happen, did. Whilst it is clear that there were happy moments for these characters, we are seldom allowed insight into those moments, leaving a strange divide between them and the reader.
I wanted to care about the characters, but I just couldn't sympathise with the protagonist enough to feel like I could. A lot of the time, it seemed we were being told how close the protagonist was to these characters rather than being shown enough for it to seem true.

What an amazing book! I am for sure going to suggest this to friends. This Author really writes a wonderful story. I will be reading more by them asap!

Olivia is the foster sister to Cassandra and they are best friends. This story follows them from teenagers through to middle age although most of the story centres on the period when they are married and raising children. Olivia in particular has to overcome several tragedies in her life although each couple suffers the vicissitudes of life.

I found it particularly engaging in the second half whereas in the first half there were several sections which felt like “telling” rather than “showing”. However this completely disappeared in the second half as the dialogue and more complex areas of character were explored.

The second half also explores the topic of surrogacy especially as it was in Queensland in the eighties. I felt this was handled really well.
There are many topics in this story worthy of deeper discussion and as such I think this would make a great book club choice.

Personally I would have liked some exploration of the psychological impacts of being fostered which is hinted at but leaves it to the reader to either ignore or make their own inferences.

Overall an engrossing read that I really enjoyed.

** spoiler alert ** This book hurt me in so many ways. It was beautifully written and such a quick read even tho it was over 400 pages but it was so sad. I had such mixed feelings about the characters and it seemed like nothing went well for them, except for the fact that they always got back together. I hated Cassandra for most of the story but I also loved her so intensely at times. I had to hold back tears so many times while reading but I think the chapters in court were my favourite. The built up of tension was so good and it was very well written. I just wanted some more sparks of light for the characters. Next to that, the history parts were super interesting and sounded quite realistic. Absolutely would recommend this book, it was wonderful and equally painful.

Heartwarming. Heartbreaking. Powerful. Filled with real life issues in believable settings. Jenni Ogden, Thank you for writing this. A must read book.

This book was beautifully written! however it was a little to intense and deep for me. I think I will pick it up again in the fall. #CallMyName #NetGalley