Review: Leave Me – Gayle Forman

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, and 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.

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 often the case, once we get 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 able to own up to secrets she has been keeping from herself and those she loves.

With big-hearted characters--husbands, wives, friends, and lovers--who stumble and trip, grow and forgive, Leave Me is about facing the fears we’re all running from. Gayle Forman is a dazzling observer of human nature. She has written an irresistible novel that confronts the ambivalence of modern motherhood head on and asks, what happens when a grown woman runs away from home?

Have you ever just wanted to disappear from the everyday demands of life? Have you ever just wanted to up and leave when things got to be too much? Just drop everything and just go somewhere far away where no one could get ahold of you so that you can breathe and get some peace of mind?

That’s what Maribeth Klein decides to do. Maribeth has four-year-old twins who keep her busy enough as it is, with school, playdates, appointments and the list goes on. Not to mention a job that promised Friday’s off but since the day she took the job, she has yet to take a day off for a job that is fast paced and demanding, keeping her working through the weekends and late into the night. Add a husband that relies on Maribeth to keep the household running smoothly gets to be too much for Maribeth. So much in fact that as she goes through her hectic day, never once realizing that she is experiencing a heart attack until she is rushed to the emergency room.

During her recovery, all she asks of her husband is to be put in a ‘bubble’ letting nothing stress her. Unfortunately, his idea of help is to have her mother (one of her biggest stress factors) come to help with the children and everyday norms. If anything Maribeth is noticing more and more that instead of getting better, she seems to be getting worse. That’s when Maribeth decides to do the unthinkable, she packs a bag and withdraws a nice sum of cash and leaves it all behind.
Leave Me by Gayle Forman is a novel that has a main character that is easily relatable to any woman. The story immediately draws you in with the humdrum of daily life but with sarcasm and humor. It is a story that most women have fantasized about; that will spark great conversations with book clubs and amongst readers of the storyline. Leave Me is a story that is about owning up to mistakes, remembering that your life is not necessarily greener on the other side. It’s about new friendships, old friendships, and love. Leave Me by Gayle Forman was the first novel I read by this author and I look forward to reading her previous books soon.

Reviewed by: Leona R

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