Ten years ago, Izzy Stoneโs mother fatally shot her father while he slept. Devastated by her motherโs apparent insanity, Izzy, now seventeen, refuses to visit her in prison. But her new foster parents, employees at a local museum, have enlisted Izzyโs help in cataloging items at a long-shuttered state asylum. There, amid piles of abandoned belongings, Izzy discovers a stack of unopened letters, a decades old journal, and a window into her own past.
Clara Cartwright, eighteen years old in 1929, is caught between her overbearing parents and her love for an Italian immigrant. Furious when she rejects an arranged marriage, Claraโs father sends her to a genteel home for nervous invalids. But when his fortune is lost in the stock market crash, he can no longer afford her careโand Clara is committed to the public asylum.
Even as Izzy deals with the challenges of yet another new beginning, Claraโs story keeps drawing her into the past. If Clara was never really mentally ill, could something else explain her own motherโs violent act? Piecing together Claraโs fate compels Izzy to re-examine her own choicesโwith shocking and unexpected results.
Illuminating and provocative, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND is a masterful novel about the yearning to belongโand the mysteries that can belie even the most ordinary life.
This book takes a staggering look into the asylums of earlier years and although quite dark at times, it was a reality of our American history and the power of which money and men had. The author had two very different story lines working and effortlessly seamed them together for a good novel. Izzyโs POV, the seventeen year old, read like a YA book which I thought was important and true to her age and thoughts. Claraโs POV was incredibly inspiring as she suffered silently through ice baths, insulin shock therapy, and confined spaces while she maintained her dignity. Guilt, betrayal, trust, foster care, what you believe is true vs. the truth, abuse, bullying and ultimately love are at the heart of this book. If you liked this book, I suggest you read Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall.
Here’s aย photoย of the Willard State Asylum.ย
Quotes I liked:
But how many were victims of of circumstance, women left penniless by husbands who abandoned them or died, women who lost children and needed help coping with unbearable grief, women banished by parents who disapproved of their decisions? How many were at Willard because of a single angry outburst, or because they had grown old and been abandoned by their children, or had lost their parents at a young age and had grown up in an orphanage? How many were sane when they got here, but after months of abuse or overtreatment with ice baths and sedatives, would never be rational again?”
-โThe world was full of broken people, and all the hospitals and institutions and jails could never mend their fractured hearts, wounded minds, and trampled spirits.โ
-“What would have happened if the patients had been asked what had happened to them instead of what was wrong with them?โ
Review:The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar is another excellent example of creating a novel with richly layered characters while comparing Indian and American lifestyles. In this story, Remy returns to Bombay, which he has dubbed the museum of failures, as he sees his native country through the lens of his American life. Heโs there to meet his friendโs niece with the hopes of adopting her baby, as he and his wife are unable to conceive. This innocuous trip turns into a much more complex time as Remy is hit with roadblocks time and time again.Itโs the story about Remy and his mother that really got to me. He lived a life of never measuring up and feeling quite unloved by her. Through their time together in Bombay, he learns critical information that allows him to see her in a more thoughtful and understanding way. This time away has brought whatโs left of his shattered family back together.His trip extends much longer than anticipated and he realizes the value of being home. His American wife Kathy seemed too good to be true, but I did like their relationship, born of trust and equality. Remyโs life as a poet was buried away, but through his visit in India, he realizes the importance of doing work you love, not just working for a higher paycheck.Overall, this was a satisfying read and one that fans of Umrigar will appreciate. Her last book, Honor, along with The Space Between Us, are my two favorites of hers. I havenโt met an Umrigar book I didnโt enjoy!@thrity_umrigar @algonquinbooks ๐: Do you dress up for Halloween? If yes, what's your costume of choice? If not, what's a scary book you've read? ... See MoreSee Less