Calling My Name
Liara Tamani
(Author)
Shop Other Formats
Description
“Calling My Name is a treasure.”—Nic Stone, New York Times–bestselling author of Dear Martin
Calling My Name 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 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 captures the multifaceted struggle of finding where you belong and why you matter.
Product Details
| Publisher | Greenwillow Books |
| Publish Date | September 04, 2018 |
| Pages | 320 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback |
| EAN/UPC | 9780062656872 |
| Dimensions | 8.0 X 5.3 X 0.7 inches | 8.8 pounds |
About the Author
Liara Tamani holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA from Duke University. She is the author of the acclaimed young adult novels Calling My Name, a 2018 PEN America Literary Award Finalist and SCBWI Golden Kite Finalist; All the Things We Never Knew, a 2020 Kirkus Best YA Book of the Year; and What She Missed. Before becoming a writer, she attended Harvard Law School and worked as a marketing coordinator for the Houston Rockets and Comets, production assistant for Girlfriends (TV show), home accessories designer, floral designer, and yoga and dance teacher. She lives in Houston, Texas. liaratamani.com
Reviews
“Taja deals with the insecurities that most young people feel regarding identity, love, and fitting in. Stylish prose brings home quiet depths.” - Kirkus Reviews
“This lush debut novel is written in distinct prose that reads like poetry. Young adults will connect with this protagonist and this dynamic new voice. Fans of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas will especially love this lyrical novel. A great selection in any library collection.”
- School Library Journal
★ “An excellent portrayal of African American culture, gorgeous lyrical prose, strong characters, and societal critique make Tamani’s debut a must-read.” - Booklist (starred review)
“Tamani’s debut novel brims with heart and soul, following its African-American protagonist, Taja Brown, as she searches for spirituality, love, and a sense of self. Absorbing.” - Publishers Weekly
“Through stunning prose and a brilliant use of vignette (something I rarely seen in YA, but officially want more of because of this book), Liara Tamani pulls no punches in this coming-of-age exploration of growing beyond parental expectations and learning to experience the world in a way that’s personally meaningful. If there’s one book I wish I could reach through time and hand to seventeen-year-old me, it’s this one. Calling My Name is a treasure.” - Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin
“If there’s one book I wish I could reach through time and hand to seventeen-year-old me, it’s this one. Calling My Name is a treasure.” - Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin
“While not quite stream of consciousness, this novel moves dreamily along wayward paths. ...Readers willing to be swept along by Tamani’s poetic language and imagery will appreciate the journey. ... This debut is reminiscent of Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming or Marilyn Hilton’s Full Cicada Moon.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“For Taja, the narrator of Liara Tamani’s luminous episodic debut, faith in God is as much a part of her as her long legs and brown skin...a complex portrait of a young woman trying to reconcile what she’s been taught, both in church and out in the world, with what she truly believes.” - Chicago Tribune
“This debut coming-of-age novel showcases the complex relationship between family, spirituality, and self. On her journey to discovering herself, Taja learns the importance of recognizing self-worth and feeling like you truly belong.” - Brightly
Earn by promoting books
