Call Your Daughter Home is a Historical Fiction novel set in 1920’s South Carolina in an area which recently suffered a devastating boll weevil infestation leaving cotton crops decimated. Only 50 years since the Civil War, and still a few years away from The Depression, author Deb Spera shows how these issues influence the lives of three women with vastly different backgrounds.

Reeta, a first generation freed slave, Annie, a rich business owner and Gertrude, a poor mother of four girls, each take turns narrating the story. Their voices are strong and distinct, allowing them to share their different points of view as women living during this uncertain time as well as illustrate how the men in their lives greatly influence their experiences. Despite their differences in social status, these three women find strength, loyalty and a degree of friendship in each other.

The book has a slower pace and while the plot was somewhat predictable, readers will find the ending quite satisfying. The inclusion of interesting and varied secondary characters strengthens the story and provides readers with an interesting read that focuses on these three women whose love for their children, despite their differing experiences and hardships, push them onward.

– Laurie P.