Calling My Name

Taja Brown is a young Black girl in Houston, Texas, and this coming-of-age novel follows her as she moves from middle school into high school. Her world is shaped by family expectations, and she is learning who she is, what she believes, and how to speak in her own voice.

The story is told in fifty-three brief, episodic chapters. Each one is a small, luminous snapshot, and together they trace Taja's search for a place to belong and for a reason her life matters. Faith and spirituality run alongside the family drama, giving the book a reflective, poetic quality.

Written in a literary style, the novel will appeal to readers who enjoy lyrical, character-driven stories about identity and family, and it may suit fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Jandy Nelson, Naomi Shihab Nye and Sandra Cisneros.