The Leavers

This book felt a lot longer than its 350 pages, despite being well written. I can't figure out why – it had compelling characters, the story moved around from NYC to upstate NY to Texas and China, the dialogue was often snappy and funny. And yet, I had to renew it twice from the library to finish it.

In any case, it does a good job giving a real feel for experiences I've never lived and that are probably all too common in America in the year 2020. At its heart it's a story about family and identity.

3.5 stars -- I would have give it 4, but it needed a more aggressive editor. Nevertheless, the way the story is unfurled by shifting perspectives among the narrators is masterful, and really illuminates the real-world experience of so many immigrants to the U.S. These are people trying to make the best choices among the limited selection available to them, always influenced by the ghosts of their past.

Best: The chapters towards the end about what happened to Deming's mom were a glimpse into something I have a hard time getting my head around. This happens in America. My America. I'm so ashamed. Not so great: I thought the white family that adopts him is given pretty short shrift. They had no understanding or seemed to care about the trauma he went through after his mother left. They were quite the stereotypical suburban family.