Calling My Name

By: Liara Tamani

Narrated by: Imani Parks

Calling My Name, by debut author Liara Tamani, is a striking, luminous, and literary exploration of family, spirituality, and self—ideal for readers of Jacqueline Woodson, Jandy Nelson, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Sandra Cisneros.

This unforgettable novel tells a universal coming-of-age story about Taja Brown, a young African American girl growing up in Houston, Texas, and it deftly and beautifully explores the universal struggles of growing up, battling family expectations, discovering a sense of self, and finding a unique voice and purpose.

Told in fifty-three short, episodic, moving, and iridescent chapters, Calling My Name follows Taja on her journey from middle school to high school. Literary and noteworthy, this is a beauty of a novel that deftly captures the multifaceted struggle of finding where you belong and why you matter.

Real Gem

Couldn't stop listening! LOVE how the simplicity of this story so beautifully breaks Black girl stereotypes. Not set in slavery or in the hood. Not a tragedy to be saved or a problem to be solved. Just a girl coming of age into a spiritual awakening. The narrator's voice is also so beautiful.

A Good Coming-of-Age Tale Apropos for Today's Teen

While I didn’t feel that the story was earth-shattering, I believe it presented a nice, well-rounded, and articulate tale of growing up and finding out who you are.

Really good

I really like this book just be prepared if you’re younger than 9 for love reasons and stuff. But it is very interesting

Soul & Thought Provoking!

This was a very Soul and Thought provoking read. It took me back to my very awkward, joyous, and sometimes emotionally painful teen years. I loved it, and would recommend it to any struggling young person or a mature person who would like to see just how far they've come. D. Smith