What an amazingly moving and impactful story! This book is hard-hitting, and it really presses the reader the live through the journey with the characters! This will make a great book club read and will create great discussion dialogue!

Two women with a lifelong friendship find themselves drifting apart at times and being ripped apart at others. The importance and difficulty of motherhood for the two of them begin to strain their relationship.

I really felt for Olivia in this story. How many horrible things can happen to one person? As we moved from one thing to another, I felt myself continuing to be pulled deeper and deeper into her story. I appreciated her contrasting personality to those around her, and I think it helped make her stand out and alone throughout the story.

There are so many controversial topics discussed in this story, and I would highly recommend reading my content warnings if you have sensitivity to certain topics. I really appreciated the research that went into the creation of this story and the topics woven into it. The situations felt real and true to life. This is a story that is going to stay with me for a long time.

Content Warnings:
Abortion, child loss, adoption, euthanasia, rape, surrogacy

I usually put the trigger warnings at the end, however, I felt that this book had far too many and I would have wanted to know from the start.

TW: abortion, baby loss, child loss, alcoholism, substance abuse, suicide, spouse loss, terminal illness, PTSD, drowning.

While this was beautifully written, I was so shaken at certain parts of this book that I found myself wondering "Why?' out loud. The sheer amount of heartbreak and tragedy is overwhelming and senseless. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it.

Friendships and family, what lengths would you go to to make someone happy? I enjoyed the topics covered in the novel (abortion, surrogacy and adoption) plus the time line starting in the 60's, as well as the setting, Austrailia.

Thanks to Netgalley I was able to review this wonderful audiobook.

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! Loved the audio version - narrator Naomi Barton is excellent - loved the Australian accent - she brings the story to life. I will look for more books narrated by her!

I had no expectation going into this. Read the description, thought it sounded interesting, ended up really enjoying it. I think the flow of the story surprised me the most. There was just so much going on that kept it going for me and kept me reading/listening.

PROS
(1) Narrator Naomi Barton did an excellent job
(2) The characters - I found one of the main relationships the book focused on was that between Olivia and her foster sister Cassandra and I didn't really like either one of them, but I think that was the point. Olivia didn't know how to belong but wanted to and Cassandra treated her as if she did from the beginning. I think their dynamic was meant to be broken although sometimes it felt like it was brought on by Olivia herself. The supporting cast however - parents, husbands, kids - I really enjoyed. I thought they were smart and supportive and great characters helping move the story forward
(3) The story spanning decades. Watching relationships grow/fail/triumph/end. It was amazing how invested one can get in fictional lives

CONS
(1) Some years went by really fast. There was a point where Olivia went to first live with the Tulloch's and became friends with the children and suddenly they were adults. Then later on in their lives as they were mentioning the great relationship between Olivia and Cassandra I think it felt a little like where did this come from because there was no real exploration into their close friendship. At least I felt like it was just a mention of it but no feel for it. Maybe that is why I didn't fully understand Olivia and Cassandra's relationship in later years. I was constantly asking myself if they were ever close or if I made that up in my head.

Overall great read. Jenni Ogden did a great job and I was invested till the end. I also liked that there was a clear end. The main storyline felt complete and I wasn't left wondering what else could have happened in Olivia's life or what else she could do/have done. It felt finished and satisfactory.

Thank you NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for the arc.

Call My Name by Jenni Ogden

Thank you Netgallery for providing me with an ARC audio copy for an unbiased review.
Narrated by Naomi Barton.

This is a story that swings through quite a lot.
The main protagonists are Cassandra and Olivia, whose mothers were best of friends, having met in a Sumatran prison camp during WWII.
The main thrust of the story though is when Olivia loses her mother at 13, and becomes part of Cassandra's family in Australia.
She and Cassandra's friendship only strengthens, and eventually they both land up living together with their husbands in a commune style set up. Although in separate houses, their lives are interlinked throughout.

This book was good, but it feel down in two main areas for me. The 1st was too much drama and angst going on. That might sound like it isn't a bad thing for a book of this type, but it was just too many different directions, and it actually became repetitive for me, and I felt we weren't gaining anything new from it. It lacked focus as a result, and that was disappointing.

The 2nd is for the audiobook version so won't apply for the printed options, and can be discounted if audio isn't the choice you'd make, but while Naomi Barton wasn't a bad narrator, I also just felt she didn't bring a depth of narration I usually hope to find with the audiobooks I listen to. I know narrators are usually a more personal preference, so this might not be something others find.

I've been vying between what to give this as a rating because when it was good, it was pretty great. I just felt let down in the areas I mention.
I think I'm going 3/5 on this, because 3.5 isn't an option, but I personally feel it doesn't quite do enough to allow me to round up to 4/5. So I rate this good but nothing too much that stood out for me.

Wow. What a story. A little bit of everything! It opens with Olivia moving to Australia from New Zealand after finding her mother dead of an overdose; she moves in with the Tullochs, connected by the mothers, who'd been in a Japanese prison camp in Sumatra during WW2. Instantly taken over by a controlling Cassandra, Olivia slowly blossoms. She finally 'escapes' Cassandra's dramatics when she turns 18 and goes to college in England, and then meets Ben. Lots and lots of ups and downs, happiness, then loss of an infant, then adoption of a Vietnamese girl, then more loss as Lilly and Cassandra's daughter Sunny drown, then Cassandra offers to be a surrogate, with its ups and down, then Cassandra's husband gets seriously ill -- sometimes it seems as if it will never end.

This is the first I've read of this author -- and actually, I 'read' the audiobook (!), and the narrator was fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this opportunity. I'm sure I will eventually get my emotions under control shortly!

#NetGalley, #JenniOgden, #SeaDragonPress, #iReadBookTours

'Call My Name' is the latest novel by Jenni Ogden, and it is narrated by Naomi Barton in a soft, almost sensual, and sometimes in a demur, girlish, Australian accent.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press, as well as Jenni Ogden, for an audio ARC for my honest review. The novel is set mostly in Australia and features Olivia and Cassandra, best friends since childhood. Their mothers met and were BFF's during WWII in a Sumatran prison camp, held by the Japanese. Fast forward to Olivia at 13 years old, when she loses her mom from a drug overdose. She is kindly taken in by Cassandra's mom to live with (and become part of) their family in the Australian tropics.

The women, still friends as adults, but now living on their own, each have a partner/spouse and these guys are cool dudes. Olivia & Ben in the UK are invited to live with Cassandra & Sebastian in Brisbane, Australia, in what becomes a kind of commune-like existence even though they each have a separate home on the land. Then we discover that Olivia can't have children and of course Cassandra is very lucky in that way - and they're living on the same property, day to day. No thanks, I'd be outta there.

So far in the story, we have a war prison, a drug-addicted dead mother, now infertility issues, and it goes on. Cassandra is the lucky one, wealthy, beautiful, strong-minded, generous, and completely loving to Olivia and Ben. To say anymore would give away more of the story, but be assured there are more tragedies.

There are many wonderful things about this novel, but IMO, it has just too much drama. If it could have focused more on developing, challenging, changing, and celebrating or finalizing, their friendships, it would have been amazing because you do care so much about these interesting and kind characters that Ms. Ogden created. Her settings were really interesting too. There's a saying, "If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all..." - speaks volumes.

I first rated this 3*, then 4*, then 3*, then back to 4*, because there's so much to her novel. I will leave it rounded up to 4 * but know that there are emotional rollercoasters throughout this novel and it can be overwhelming in finding yet another tragedy around the corner. I wanted to say,,,,,"You had me at xxx !!!

Thanks again for this copy!!

What a great story! It recounts the story of two friends Olivia and Cassandra who are almost sisters. Cashiers 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.

First of all, it was so refreshing to read a book with likable characters and beautiful, tender relationships. This novel was a solid 5-star read up until the halfway mark. Although I enjoyed the story and the beautiful writing, I had to take off a star because the book was too long. The two scenes that I would have shortened were: Cathy relating the concentration camp story about Olivia's mother and the second is the tedious courtroom drama. The narration. deserves a 5-star rating.

How in the world do I review a story that I really liked without hyping it and conveying high expectations to others? I finished this some time ago but kept ignoring the fact that I needed to post a review. But for a person who likes all her ducks in a row, time’s up.

This beautifully narrated story had me listening to it every chance I could. While it covers many sensitive concerns, I thought it all tied together and worked. Though for some, it may be too close to home to feel comfortable.

The story follows Olivia Newman, who is raised by her mother’s best friend Cathie Tulloch and Cathie’s husband. As Olivia nears her dreams of a career in publishing, she finds she’s pregnant. Unmarried and confused since her relationship is so new, she turns to her foster sister, Cassandra. Their growing relationship, of which there are many ups and downs, pretty much sums up the story.

Ogden ties the characters together in a way that feels believable and brings about lots of emotions. At times the love and pain Olivia and Cassandra feel seem almost tangible. And for that matter, I was completely drawn in by all the secondary characters.

It’s not light reading that caused me to go away feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. It felt like an honest glimpse into life. But at the same time, a great element of love wound through this story.

My Concerns
For some, this might represent life just a little bit too much. It covers topics such as abortion, mother and daughter relationships, adoption, death, surrogacy, and more. At one point I considered that the story might have a political agenda, and if that was the case it wasn’t going to work for me. If you, like me, give that a thought, you can quickly dismiss it. It was a story. I felt no underlying threads of an ulterior motive.

As I mentioned, this covers lots of topics, and everything has an element of reality attached. For some, it won’t be the light-and-airy beach read you are looking for. It’s deeper, yet so captivating.

Final Thoughts
I took a long time to think about this before writing my review. I hate to hype a book up since it’s almost impossible to live up to preconceived notions. But this story and narrator brought these characters to life.

I totally enjoyed it and will definitely have this author and narrator on my radar.

My thanks to NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for the early copy of this audiobook and the ability to give my opinion without stipulations.

I received this advanced copy of "Call my name" by Jenni Ogden, and my first book her it does jump through time although gives a very rounded background from the 2 main characters.
I just had to know how it ended.
This story will stay with me forever.
Well done!

A beautiful melodrama spanning three decades and highlighting the unbreakable bond between two brilliant women. While Ogden covers a plethora of difficult topics including abortion, adoption, terminal illness, addiction, depression, and much more they are presented in an organic and relatable way. Reads should be ready for an emotional roller coaster with a full cast of vivid characters that feel like family.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a relatable character driven novel with feminist undertones.

5 stars for a remarkably written roller coaster of two women’s journey through life.

A sweeping southern hemisphere set melodrama. New Zealand teenager tragically Olivia loses her mother and is taken in by the Tullock family in Australia who are old friends of her mother . What follows is the story of Olivia and their daughter Cassandra's lifelong friendship through young adulthood, motherhood, tragic loss and reconciliation. Spanning four decades in the life of this sprawling antipodean family, this epic is evocative and moving throughout

I really enjoyed reading this book, but it may not be the book for everyone. It opened with a shocking scene discussing whether or not she had received her period, and the consequences of this being in a new relationship, and the time of free love being the 60's.

It covers quite a lot of sensitive topics in well researched and descriptive detail. Topics such as abortion, loosing a child during birth resulting in a hysterectomy, overseas adoption along with surrogacy and euthanasia.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Sea Dragon Press for my advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

3 Stars: It was a good book and well-crafted. I would recommend it to the right person.

Please visit my Facebook page and blog to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/kyliesbookad...
https://kyliesbookaddictreviews.blogs...
1 like

Olivia and Cassandra are opposites when it comes to personality, but their bond is strong. Olivia is taken in at the age of 13 by Cassandra's parents in a remote area in Australia, her mother having been a long ago but good friend of her own mother when they were held captive together in a Japanese prison camp during WWII. Olivia and Cassandra become best friends and when they each go separate ways after high school they come back together again several years later in Brisbane, where they live together with their significant others during the hippie 1960's years. Olivia is introverted, sensitive and cautious; Cassandra outgoing, generous and controlling. All is well until life gets in the way and the struggles of motherhood come to the forefront. A story of friendship, family, love and grief, this novel will make you smile cry and rage all at the same time. Beautifully written with relatable characters, it explores the undefined lines of friendship as well as the freedoms or lack thereof of the choices we make with our bodies and our lives.

An intense book about two women tied together regardless of their vast differences in temperament whose relationship is severely challenged by motherhood. A little too dramatic for my taste, but I can see that it would very much appeal to those who love stories with a lot of drama, injustice, and emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.
Two women, bound together by opposite personalities, friendship, love and family—until motherhood rips them apart.

From Jenni Ogden, author of best-selling A Drop in the Ocean, (Gold Nautilus Award for Fiction) comes a compelling family saga set in the Australian Tropics and spanning the 1960s to 1990s.

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. In Brisbane she and Ben share a hippie lifestyle with Cassandra and husband, Sebastian. But while earth-mother Cassandra effortlessly produces beautiful babies, for Olivia, becoming a mother is hard. Even harder is discovering the truth about her own mother. And 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.

I don’t even know where to begin with a review that will do this beautiful book justice. I went in not being familiar with the author (huge mistake that I’ll be rectifying) every now and then a book comes along that is so special that it really is everything. A literal cradle to grave story. The book spans 30 years of love friendship and family. It’s taken me 2 days to get my head straight enough to write this review, it’s an emotional rollercoaster for sure it covers a vast range of hard hitting subjects from the 60’s right through to modern day, I got a real feminist message throughout, the book covers war, abortion, adoption, surrogacy, addiction, depression and terminal illness, and euthanasia but while these are all hard to read topics, it’s written so beautifully that I felt like part of the story from the first page. I fell in love with these brilliantly written characters and sobbed for a good half hour at the end. Literally everything! A hugely well deserved 5 stars.

#Callmyname by #jenniogden I wanted to love this story. There are so many themes in this story and each has me gripped but each time I was lost in development. So much tragedy. Thanks to #Netgalley for gifting me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

'Call My Name' by Jenni Ogden, narrated by Naomi Barton

Thanks to NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for an audio ARC for my honest review.

The characters in this book were so realistic, it felt like it was happening in real life. It follows the lives of two friends from the time when Olivia joins Cassandra's family after her mother dies when she was 13. Their mothers were close friends who survived a Japanese prisoner of war camp. It covers several difficult historical issues. What a heart-wrenching and inspirational story! Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

The narrator was excellent!

#CallMyName #NetGalley #JenniOgden #SeaDragonPress