This was such a good read and will definitely be one Ithink about for a long time. I couldn't put it down it was powerful and emotive.

I would highly recommend this book to… anyone and everyone! This book will stay with you long after you've finished it, and in the most fabulous way!

A couple of summers ago I read and loved The Moon is Missing by Jenni Ogden so when I saw she had another book on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it. \this book was heartbreaking and joyful in equal measure, much like real life. It begs the question, what does it mean to be a mother? But it also asks what makes a family? The story asks many pertinent and timely questions about abortion, adoption/surrogacy, and mental health. There was a lot to take on in this book as it spans thirty years or more but as usual Jenni Ogden's writing is emotive and she tells this story beautifully.

As long as this story was I was swept away in its telling and managed to read it in a couple of sittings. I loved the location of Australia and felt like I had visited there. The descriptions of the beaches, the sand, and the flora & fauna were absolutely lovely. Being on Olivia's journey to find a family and a place to call home. This was such a joy to read for many reasons but what I liked most was the fact that it is simply a story about life and love including all the good, the bad, and messy in-between.

Call My Name by Jenni Ogden was one rollercoaster of a ride. There was a lot of heartbreak with Olivia and Cassandra, and there were moments when I almost felt overwhelmed by it. I also at times felt frustrated with Olivia, but then in thinking about it, realized I would likely feel the same way that she did, although I wouldn't be proud of it! Jenni Ogden did a good job of setting the scene in Australia, a place I would love to go.

I liked the theme of family being something we can create rather than what we are born into.. this is very true!

There were some disturbing sections regarding the atrocities of war that weren't easy to read, but they are fairly brief.

Overall I enjoyed this read. There were a few moments when I was like "oh, c'mon!"- sort of the same way I felt reading a book like Angela's Ashes, when bad things just kept happening, but love and redemption can surely win!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sea Dragon Press for a galley edition of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A story that posed so many questions of my own feelings regarding the issues raised. Families, single parents, fostering, adoption, friendships, abortion, miscarriage, euthanasia, past experiences. It was a roller coaster of a ride through the emotions of the characters as well as my own. I was drawn into the story early on and hooked to the very end.. I highly recommend this book.

Jenni Ogden's done it again -- given us a beautifully crafted novel filled with the complexities, mysteries and joys of human connection within a family and between sisters, lovers and friends. At the heart of the story are Olivia and Cassandra, thrown together when Olivia's mother dies and she's sent to live with a family she never knew but that warmly embraces her arrival. Opposites in character and action, the two women develop a sisterly bond that is challenged and strengthened over the decades by their differences, their heartaches and celebrations. Each faces the constraints on women's lives in the 1970s and '80s in unique ways, and provides a worthwhile lesson in how society's beliefs and norms affect each woman's life path. Filled with authenticity, compassion and grace, Call My Name will find its way deep into your heart and soul, and stay with you long after the last page has been turned.

Olivia is 13 when her mother dies of a drug overdose, leading to Olivia moving in with an old friend of her mom, Cathie Tulloch, Cathie’s husband, and Cathie’s kids Cassandra and David. Olivia will find in the Tulloch’s a family she couldn’t ever have imagined and a best friend sisterhood with Cassandra that lasts them through adulthood and many challenges.

When tragedy strikes, Olivia and Cassandra aren’t sure if they can ever repair their bond.

Through their life stories, we are also confronted with many true social issues and conflict - war, post traumatic stress syndrome, abortion, adoption, family dynamics…

I’m still reeling over how the very end played out! I don’t want to say more in case of spoilers…

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #netgallyreviewer #netgalleyreader #netgalleyarc #fiction #booklover #bookreviews #whatimreading #whatiread #bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bibliophile #bookgram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #bookreviewer #takealookitsinabook
#jenniogden #callmyname

I was invited to review this novel as I had read, enjoyed, and reviewed the Moon is Missing, so was looking forward to doing the same for this novel.

Call my Name is an epic novel following the lives of two friends Olivia and Cassandra. Yet this is not a rosy story of two friends facing the world. Call My Name takes in some hard-hitting challenges, and I am not going to lie there were times that I really do not know how Olivia tolerated Cassandra. For me Olivia must have been a saint as I do not think I could have forgiven her. In fact, sometimes for me Cassandra seemed to be so toxic I am not sure I could have been under her roof, never mind in the same room as her.

This makes Call my Name more enjoyable though – the characters are not saints. Olivia does find Cassandra hard to forgive, but somehow manages to move on from what I consider to be the damage she causes. And in this Olivia is a better person than me.

For me I would have liked to have heard more of the Olivia’s back story – her growing up in New Zealand, and both Olivia and Cassandra’s mother’s stories. They deserve a novel in themselves.

Apart from this Call My Name is an enjoyable read, and one that I devoured almost in one sitting.

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

** 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.

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.

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!

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,

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

🌴🌏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.

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.

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.

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.

"Birds. His first love. Gannets, falcons...Not me, not yet."

I thoroughly savored #CallMyName. The time with these characters is well spent, and I found myself thinking about them when I wasn't reading, a sign to me that they've captured my heart. A friendship between two foster sisters, Cassandra and Olivia, is tested time and time again through, simply, life. I loved the New Zealand and Australian settings, the beaches, the houses and the descriptions of food! Terrific read, highly recommend.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

Wow, this book….what can I say, I’ve never read a book by this author before but she is definitely going to be on my favourite authors list from now on. Read in one sitting

Call My Name is an emotionally yet realistic view on love and friendship.

This book explores heavy topics pertaining to women and even though I am a woman and have my own fair share of trauma, reading and hearing about other women who go through the same amazes me how strong and resilient we a women is and has to be.

I enjoyed that it spans from the 60’s, “the hippy” era until the 90’s as it was well researched.

All in all, the writing was thoughtful and I would recommend this to other women to read.

A long, but fascinating book, taking in many different aspects of the lives of two women bound together by love and friendship from girlhood in the 1960's to womanhood in the 1990's.
I also found it interesting because it is set in Australia, and aspects and attitudes to topics such as adoption and surrogacy are different to those in the UK at the same times.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and plan to read others by the same author.

This was a beautiful book about life and all its ugliness and beauty. Olivia is the main character who has led a life of mostly tragedy. She's taken in by the family of her mother's good friend after she dies when Olivia is a child. This family will be at the center of the major events of her life from that point forward.

The book follows Olivia from childhood to adulthood. From happiness to heartbreak. It truly is the description of a life lived - - and it isn't always pretty. You see things go full circle from the beginning of relationships all the way to how things come to an end.

This book kept me hooked. It isn't that it moved at a quick pace. I think it's because I could feel Olivia's pain and joy. For a character that often didn't seem to let herself feel emotions early on, she experienced them deeply later in the book.

AUDIOBOOK: I found the narration to be perfect for this book. Accents lent to the authenticity of the storyline. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and the early copy of the audio version. I chose to review both and the opinions contained within are my own.

A first class, thought provoking novel, one I will remember for some time. I really felt for all involved, going from joy to despair, hoping that things would turn out okay for all in the end. It a strong story revolving around so many issues - family, friendship, pregnancy and surrogacy. Two very different girls grow up together after one is left an orphan and then taken into a close family as a step sister.

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!

I really enjoyed this story of Olivia and Cassandra and the various seasons of their lives. Because the story moves from childhood through various seasons and trials, victories, losses, disagreements, and hurts it takes on an epic feel. I appreciated that all of the main characters had scenes where we saw them as flawed and oh so human and yet no one is only one thing. All in all a good family drama.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review..

This is the story of two lifelong friends set mainly in Queensland, Australia. It tells their stories in the 1970s and eighties. We meet their partners and their friends as well as their children. It is a very moving story but it is also perhaps a little bit too long. Olivia and Cassandra and their lives are interesting and your sympathies move from one to the other as the story moves on.

First thank you to Sea Dragon publishing and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for my review.
The story is told over 30 years time, and is an absolute roller coast of emotions. It is so well written you, just continue on reading till the last page.

The story is told thru Olivia, whose mother died when she was 13. Her mothers best friend, Cathie who together struggled thru a prison stay in Sumatra during wwII adapts her with her husband William Tulloch.
She finds a family who loves her and a daughter Cassandra, whose personality at times contradicts Olivia, but they become sisters and best of friends. They both find husbands and the emotional ups and downs begin. Questions of what is love of family, friends, and children are put thru the ringer..
The contemporary issues of abortion, adoption, surrogacy, and euthanasia is equally discussed between the characters. The story also explores the issues and feelings for friendship, motherhood, grief, and ultimately forgiveness.
The story for me made me stop and consider what would I have done given the circumstances which continue to change as the story approaches the different issues.
I totally recommend this book if you want to explore issues that are not fiction to many people.
There is also a wonderful description of Australia and the pretty places to see. I have been there and reading this makes me want to return.
I recommend this book to woman who want to look at issues that are current and effect many which in some cases are wonderful and others sad.

When thirteen year old Olivia finds her mother dead of a drug overdose, Cathie Tulloch, her mom’s friend from a POW camp in Sumatra, takes her in. This story covers the next thirty plus years in Olivia and the Tulloch family’s life. Olivia becomes best friends with the Tulloch’s daughter Cassandra. Ogden describes not only events in their lives but also provides the backstory for her friendship with Olivia’s mother during WWII. I think this is the type of book that one should go into blind. To speak more about the story would reveal too many spoilers. It covers A LOT of ground and I will say there are some serious triggers so if you are susceptible to those, check other reviews. It is well written and the characters are wonderful. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. 4.5 stars. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved this multi-generational story of family and friendship. Mixed into the history of the 1960s through the 1990s, Jennifer Ogden has fashioned a tale of compelling characters and their complex connections. She shows us that families and friendships are often turbulent and relationships, situations and events change us. She also shows us the power of love between friends, families and partners. This was a great book. Thanks #NetGalley #SeaDragonPress # JenniOgden

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

I don't often give a warning but this book had so many issues covered and was quite harrowing in parts. Family issues, abortion, surrogacy, still-birth, adoption - plus loads more! I enjoyed it despite this and was very invested in the story of Cassandra and Olivia, their lives, families, dramas and losses over the course of a few decades - 1960s - 1990s. I'll be looking for more books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Call My Name, by Jenni Ogden, is a heartbreaking novel that will haunt you long past the time you turn the final page. At one point I did put it down because it was so heavy, but I didn't leave it long. I had to know what happened next. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Wow!!

What a heart rendering book. It has everything, love, loss and laughter.

This book has really made an impact on me. I feel like I lived Olivia’s life.

This story is about two women in Australia, they meet as teens when Olivia's mother dies of a drug overdose. Cassandra's mother knew Olivia's mother when they were both prisoners in a Japanese POW camp, and she invites Olivia to live with her family. Cassandra and Olivia have an instant bond, and the novel follows their friendship from the 1960's to the 1990's. Cassandra's family becomes Olivia's family, and they grow up, marry, have children. There is a lot covered here; drug addiction, miscarriage, death of children, ALS, surrogacy are just some of them. I got this through @netgalley and did not know anything about it prior to reading. I really enjoyed it, it's a great family and friendship read. #callmyname #jenniogden #bookstagram #reader #familystory #friendshipstory #bookblog #lovetoread #booksbooksbooks #readallthebooks #readersofinstagram #booklover #bookbloggersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #bookrecommendations #bookreview #netgalley #book

This is a beautifully written novel that covers many difficult topics in a sensitive and engaging way. When she is 13, Olivia’s mum takes her own life and she is taken in by her mums friend Cathie. She becomes a close friend to Cathie’s daughter Cassandra and embarks on a lifelong relationship with the whole family. We follow Olivia as a university student in Cambridge and her life back in Australia with her husband Ben as she reconnects with Cassandra and her husband and children.
This is a saga of a novel moving through heartbreaking episodes and looking back to Cathie’s relationship with Olivia’s mum. Highly recommended and I’m sad to leave the characters behind.

Absolutely loved this book!

The writing style was really good and I look forward to reading any other books from this author in the future :)

A really good family saga that had just about everything in it from single parenting, fostering, abuse to euthanasia and everything in betwee . Some bits were hard to read at times, but a very well written book that I would recommend to my book club.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book. I loved the storyline and the main character. The topic was heavy at times but so good, I couldn't put it down. Would definitely recommend this book!

This book is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Narrated by the main character (Olivia), it spans three decades and the enduring friendship/sisterhood of her and her foster sister (Cassndra). The book covers many different issues, At times, I thought it was too many, but the author does an impressive job of tying them all together and telling the story of these women and their families. The characters are wonderfully developed and I found myself loving all of them. This is a story about friendship, marriage, motherhood and so much more. The Australian setting was beautifully depicted. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful family saga.

A beautiful, emotional story that was hard to put down! I really enjoyed reading about life in the different decades in Australia. I also loved the friendship between the girls.

This was a deep and thought provoking story. At some points I wanted to stop and dig myself deeper into the situation and contemplate further. It is a story that will stay with me.
Many thanks to Sea Dragon Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it a couple of months ago and the storyline has not left me. It seems like there were things that happened in this story that needed more time to simmer. If I had a paper copy I am sure I would be rereading parts of this book again. The storyline was heartbreaking but captivating. There were so many great life celebrations to this story but the heartache and tragedy was also very present. Overall a great read but I definitely went for something lighthearted to read after this.

There isn't much more I can add to the raving 5 star reviews that are out there. This is stunning. It is heartfelt, it is deep, it is emotional, it is moving. The writing is beautiful. The story is gritty and real and ugly and beautiful. I highly recommend when you need something that will grab you and make you feel.

This story follows two women throughout much of their lives. Olivia comes to live with the Tulloch family after her mother dies. There she meets Cassandra Tulloch, an outgoing, generous, and controlling girl the same age as Olivia. Cassandra and Olivia, although very different, become best friends. The story follows their friendship and the trials it goes through with life challenges. The book covers many tough topics - abortion, substance abuse, the Vietnam War, prison camps, adoption, surrogacy, stillbirth, and death. I enjoyed the story, but felt like the ending was too abrupt. An epilogue would have been great to sum up what happened next to the characters after following them for 30 years of their lives.