~ Review: When Love Calls ~

• ROMANCE IN COLOR'S BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!

There are very few books published these days that I would consider to be exceptional, those rare books that creep up on you without your first realizing that they have touched you in some profound way.  In the past two weeks, I have read two such books, PIECES OF DREAMS by Donna Hill, and FIRE AND DESIRE by Brenda Jackson, and now there is a third with this special quality.  When I finally closed Gail McFarland’s WHEN LOVE CALLS, a few minutes ago, I held my breath for a moment.  I needed to internalize and understand the range of emotions that this book had elicited in me.  My senses felt strangely alive, as if some powerful force had touched a part of me, before untouched.  I felt moved, contented…and happy.

WHEN LOVE CALLS epitomized all that is wonderful about the Africa-American romance novel, and there is so much that is wonderful in this latest offering of Ms. McFarland.  Firstly, there’s an originality in the story premise that is appealing.  When thirty-something Marcus – Marc – Benton mistakenly calls forty-something Davida Lawrence’s home when he’s trying to reach his sister, an unusual long distant relationship develops.  The telephone conversations are at first formal and cautious, but become flirtatious and titillation, shimmering with sexual tension.

When they eventually meet, Marc knows that Davida is the woman of his dreams.  Davida, on the other hand, is haunted by the memory of her late husband.  Along with this, not only does she have the responsibility of raising a daughter with sickle cell, but she is also concerned that Marc is five years younger than she is (she’s forty).  What develops is a relationship hindered by Davida’s uncertainty.  With gently, sensitive hands…and kisses, Marc tries all in his power to convince Davida that they belong together.

This novel is not only about love, but also about family and friendship.  What is most striking, however, is Ms. McFarland’s characterization of her major and minor characters. Each of her characters is vividly created individuals.  Coming immediately to mind are “The Supremes” trio of Jewell, Louise and Wesie—distinct, vibrant personalities.  This special detail to characterization is evident in the scene when Marc meets an elderly woman on his way to St. Louis to be with Davida and her daughter, Des.  Miss Aurelia Ross of Newnan, Georgia, in this short scene, is so clearly defined that she literally walks of the page.  She’s the perfect individual to give advice to Marc at this time. I couldn’t help but smile when she whispers: “If I’d been forty—no, maybe thirty years younger, I’d have kissed him back.”

Not only are the characters memorable, but specific scenes will forever linger in my mind when I remember this novel:  Marc, sitting, at Des’s bedside, at the hospital, telling her its alright to call him “Daddy”, Mama Lou telling Davida that it’s time to go on with her life, and yes, the gentleness, passion and intensity of the first time Marc and Davida make love.

I’m going to go out on a limb, and say that WHEN LOVE CALLS is going to be one of the best, if not the best, African-American romance of 1999.  With WHEN LOVE CALLS, Ms. McFarland establishes herself as a writer of intensity and, that quality I see essential in an exceptional piece of writing, …SOUL!!