Leave Me

Maribeth Klein: 44 yrs old, magazine editor, mom of 4 yr old twins, with a wonderful husband and fabulous busy New York City life. Indigestion. Not indigestion. Stress. Not stress. Heart attack. Maribeth has a heart attack. So now this smart, feisty, funny woman has to get her life back. But nothing feels the same and her walls are closing in. Why isn’t anyone taking care of her? Why is everyone and everything sucking the breath right out of her? Maribeth wants her life back. She does what maybe some women fantasize about, maybe only some admit to fantasizing about. She runs away. As Maribeth, this complex character created by amazing author Gayle Forman, reflects on her life both past and present she clearly sees the good, the bad and the ugly. The hideous scar down her chest reminds her every day of the imperfect body she now inhabits. Leave Me takes the reader on a journey, like a fly on the wall, watching Maribeth search for her best self, her true self. Possibly one she has not seen in a long time. If you could go back and see a film of your life which parts would you appreciate and what would force you to cringe? This novel was unputdownable. I loved the characters, and Ms. Forman’s poetic soft voice tells a simple, honest, heartbreaking story. I have liked quite a few of Gayle Forman’s novels and I highly recommend this fantastic new read.