Leave Me by Gayle Forman – 352 pages
Book Blurb:
For every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, for every woman who has ever dreamed of boarding a train to a place where no one needs constant attention–meet Maribeth Klein. A harried working mother who’s so busy taking care of her husband and twins, she doesn’t even realize she’s had a heart attack. Afterward, surprised to discover that her recuperation seems to be an imposition on those who rely on her, Maribeth does the unthinkable: She packs a bag and leaves. But, as is so often the case, once we get to where we’re going, we see our lives from a different perspective. Far from the demands of family and career and with the help of liberating new friendships, Maribeth is finally able to own up to secrets she has been keeping from those she loves and from herself.
My Review: 3.5
Leave Me is a look into a woman’s life as she chooses to leave her kids, husband and work behind to heal both physically and emotionally. Literally, this book is about what the title implies, leaving.
I’m familiar with Gayle Forman’s YA books as her bestseller, If I Stay, was selected as a school reading assignment for one of my kids. Apparently, this is her first foray into adult fiction. There’s something incredible juicy about taking the journey that Maribeth, the protagonist, took on. I imagine all parents, both moms and dads, fantasizing about leaving. Just dropping all the responsibilities of your life and escaping to an undisclosed location and taking care of yourself. But reality sets in and it seems an outrageous idea, so of course, it’s the perfect plot for fiction.
There were many underlying emotional wounds that Maribeth needed to tend to, most importantly the search for her birth parents. Finding friends outside of her boss and finding herself as a desirable woman were additional haunts that needed to be quelled.
Motherhood, genetics, adoption, marriage, regret, work-life balance and friendship are all major themes running through this book. It was an easy read, well written and packs more into the plot than expected.
Quotes I liked:
Scars are just tattoos with better stories.”
-“Sometimes what you see only tells some of the story.”
-“That’s when I learned the ugly secret of a mother’s love: you protect them to protect yourself.”
-“Sometimes leaving someone is the most loving thing you can do.”
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