Leave Me

For every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, for anyone who has ever dreamed of boarding a train to a place where no one needs constant attention, here is Maribeth Klein. A harried working mother who’s so busy taking care of her husband and twins, she doesn’t even realize that 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 finally able to own up to the secrets she has been keeping from herself and those she loves. Gayle Forman is a dazzling observer of human nature. Her trademark sensitivity and humor abound as she confronts the ambivalence and complexities of modern motherhood head-on and shows us that sometimes you need to leave home in order to find it again. With bighearted characters—husbands, wives, friends, andlovers—who stumble and soar, grow and forgive, Leave Me is about facing the fears we’re all running from.