Review: Insightful, Well-Written
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 24, 2012
I love reading books that feel like they are told from the heart. "The Leaving" gives me that feeling. This is the story of teenage siblings coming of age in 1980s Dublin, Ireland. Cathy and Steve are intelligent young people with deep, philosophical thoughts. As young children, the siblings develop a close bond. They rely on each other for refuge in an unstable household tightly woven with resentment and secrecy. In his final year of high school, Steve reveals his homosexuality to Cathy by pursuing a relationship with her classmate, Ron. Cathy becomes envious of Steve's good looks, his independence, and his new relationship. She feels betrayed by him and left behind to deal with their parents alone. Watching her brother's love affair unfold, Cathy begins to search for her own sexual identity. Cathy's choices keep the reader guessing where this journey for love and acceptance will eventually lead her.The dialog and scenes in this book have a genuine Irish tone. The reader experiences a taste of country life in Ireland as well as various neighborhoods in Dublin. The descriptions of family life, academic life, and social issues relevant to the theme of the book are practical and enlightening. "The Leaving" shares an insightful look into a young woman's quest for true love.