The Leavers

Review

Such a powerful story about family and identity - I loved the vivid descriptions of each place, the deep characterizations, and especially the personal stories of both Deming and Polly. My favourite aspects of the book were Polly's complicated feelings about and experiences with motherhood, one of the most distinct and honest accounts of having a child that I've read in a long time, and the descriptions of Deming's synesthesia. I think I would have enjoyed a deeper engagement with Kay and Peter's role in the novel, but I agree with why they were decentered.