The Calling

by Michael Kott

A varied group of new plebes, first-year students at the Naval Academy, find themselves sent not to the storied school in Annapolis, Maryland, but instead to an experimental civilian-run version: The Chesapeake Naval Academy. They include Anastasiia Lashkova, a young woman from the Russian Federation who seeks the opportunity to be a military pilot; David Lavelle, a French student who seeks the father who abandoned his mother when he was born; and Autumn Pilsner, who overcomes her prejudices and finds the friend who has been missing from her life. Though they have come from different lives, each has been somehow drawn into the allure of the Navy’s university. They all find they have answered some inner urging to follow this path in life. They intermix with a small group of upper classmen of various years who also find themselves transferred to the experimental school. Their stories are similar, like second year Bonnie Wilson, cheerleader and daughter of a famed Hollywood actress; fourth year student Nick Franklin, football prospect who suddenly finds himself without a team; and Diane Kazmarek, daughter of a Naval Academy graduate who places her personal honor above all else.Once there, both groups examine their reasons for attending the Academy and why they are subjecting themselves to the rigors of the military school. And as they do, they also examine themselves, and who they have been called to be.

355 pages, Paperback

Published March 30, 2020

Reviews

[Rachel Kester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Michael Kott takes readers to the historic city of Annapolis where they’ll meet a few students from around the world who are currently enrolled at its prestigious Naval Academy. However, when the students arrive they find that they won’t be studying at the Naval Academy but rather The Chesapeake Naval Academy, an experimental civilian-run school. When they first visit the academy they are confused, but find that they must learn how to work together to understand how to move forward. Along the way, they’ll also search deeper into who they are and what they want for their future.

This coming-of-age novel uniquely tells the struggles and fears of growing up. In addition to this, Kott writes with an eloquent style that will captivate you while reading. The book is somewhat long (250 pages) but it’s filled with well-developed characters and an intriguing plot that will make putting it down difficult to do.