Review: Whistling Women: A Novel

Whistling Women: A Novel by Kelly Romo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whistling Women by Kelly Romo is an interesting look into the lives of two women, one on the cusp of adulthood and on who is trying to find forgiveness for her past when she was the same age. Addie is a member of a nudist colony going to San Diego for an exhibit at the World's Fair. Rumor, the niece she doesn't know she has, is also in San Diego living with her mother and old sister Mary. As their lives begin to intertwine, they discover that the secrets of the past still have consequences, especially when they are kept hidden.

I enjoyed reading this book because the author made sure that the characters and their lives were true to the time and place of the book (San Diego, 1935). Although I think many people who be shocked about a nudist colony in 1935, it serves as a reminder of Addie and Wavey's constant battle with trying to feel free from the past while still trying to stay secretive. If readers can stick with it through a relatively slow first half, the second half of the book is well worth the wait.

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