From Barnes and Noble:
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 bighearted 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?
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
What’s it like?: Sort of like Eat, Pray, Love but without the traveling.
Maribeth Klein is a mother of twins. She works at a magazine in NYC. She has a heart attack and her world stops. The procedure gets botched; she needs open-heart surgery. When she finally gets to go home, those surrounding her don’t give her the time to heal. They push her to get better quickly. She runs away to Pittsburgh in order to heal herself.
What did I think?: It was really good. The only issue I had with it was that I can’t relate to Maribeth too well. It’s an adult novel; I’m not exactly an adult in experience. Besides that, it was great. She struggled to find her way in life before she left. She wasn’t much better off at the end, but she was more whole. I definitely recommend this book.