Happy Friday! Can you believe Christmas is one week from today? I hope you’ve had some time to relax and enjoy this season, even in the midst of the busyness!

The book I’m featuring today for First Line Friday is definitely not a fun, lighthearted read, but it is a powerful and emotional story. Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke won’t be out for a couple of weeks, but you can read the first line and my review below!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

May 1941

“My mother was a beautiful woman, a magnificent and generous woman who loved music and poetry and literature and gardens.”

Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke

The Basics

Title: Night Bird Calling

Author: Cathy Gohlke

Release Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: Christian historical fiction

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

From the Back Cover: When Lilliana Swope’s beloved mother dies, Lilliana gathers her last ounce of courage and flees her abusive husband for the home of her only living relative in the foothills of No Creek, North Carolina. Though Hyacinth Belvidere hasn’t seen Lilliana since she was five, she offers her cherished great-niece a safe harbor. Their joyful reunion inspires plans to revive Aunt Hyacinth’s estate and open a public library where everyone is welcome, no matter the color of their skin.

Slowly Lilliana finds revival and friendship in No Creek—with precocious eleven-year-old Celia Percy, with kindhearted Reverend Jesse Willard, and with Ruby Lynne Wishon, a young woman whose secrets could destroy both them and the town. When the plans for the library also incite the wrath of the Klan, the dangers of Lilliana’s past and present threaten to topple her before she’s learned to stand.

With war brewing for the nation and for her newfound community, Lilliana must overcome a hard truth voiced by her young friend Celia: Wishing comes easy. Change don’t.

My Thoughts

This book was my introduction to Cathy Gohlke’s writing, and I was impressed by her ability to weave a rich story full of historical detail and authentic characters. She offers a glimpse into the South in the early 1940s, when the horrors of racism and the KKK were still prevalent. Those topics, combined with the abuse several characters face, make this a book I would only recommend to older teenagers and above. However, the way these difficult topics are handled with such honesty and grace is what makes this such a powerful, moving story. Lilliana’s determination, Celia’s spunk, and Hyacinth’s story of redemption will stay with you long after the last page. This book is a must-read for historical fiction fans!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.