Featured Author: Julie Kibler

Julie Kibler began writing Calling Me Home after learning a bit of family lore: as a young woman, her grandmother fell in love with a young black man in an era and locale that made the relationship impossible. When not writing, she enjoys travel, independent films, music, photography, and corralling her teenagers and rescue dogs. She lives in Arlington, Texas. Calling Me Home is her debut novel.

Q & A with Julie Kibler

Can you describe your book in 10 words or fewer?

A journey stirs memories of interracial love in 1930s Kentucky.

Where did the idea for the book come from?

About seven years ago, my father told me my grandmother fell in love with a black man when she was a young woman and that her family wouldn't allow the relationship to continue. This explained so much about my grandmother's personality -- she never seemed especially happy to me. Though she was deceased when I learned her secret, and I'll never know exactly what happened, I hoped to honor her memory and capture the essence of what might have been.

Calling me Home is your first novel. Have you always wanted to be a novelist?

I believe the notion of becoming an author often lurks in the minds of avid readers, and I've always been a reader. I moved many times as a child, and books were essentially my closest friends. I don't remember a specific moment when I said I wanted to become a novelist, but one day, I decided to write a book. Coincidentally, that was around the same time I learned about my grandmother's lost love, though my first few manuscripts went unpublished.

Which writers do you think influenced you?

While studying literature, I was particularly interested in writers of Southern fiction--Eudora Welty and Carson McCullers, to name a few. I continue to be awed by contemporary writers of Southern fiction, such as Pat Conroy and Sue Monk Kidd.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished Faith by Jennifer Haigh, which is a fascinating study of family dynamics surrounding a Catholic priest accused of abuse.

What is your favourite book?

I can't pick a favorite child or a favorite book. Growing up, I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder and Frances Hodgson Burnett. As an adult, I discovered Rosamund Pilcher and was heartbroken to reach the end of her backlist.

What are you working on now?

I thought I had a good idea of what I was writing, but a recent trip to Italy might have nudged me in an entirely new direction. Regardless, I keep returning to themes of marginalization, secrets, and family dynamics, past and present.