A review by mayab1226
The Leavers by Lisa Ko

emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I think everyone should read this book. It paints a beautiful, multifaceted, and realistic picture of topics such as the mother-son relationship, the Fuzhounese diaspora, and the struggle to fit in and find a home, a place where you belong. The book gave me a new perspective on issues like trans-racial adoption that I hadn’t previously considered, and its depiction of
ICE detention camps and deportation
was absolutely harrowing to read.

The characterization of Peilan/Polly and Deming/Daniel, in my opinion, was fascinating and three-dimensional. I thought the narrative device of Deming/Daniel’s parts being written in third person, then Peilan/Polly’s being written in first person with her son as the narratee (“you”), was interesting and well-executed, if a bit surprising at first; it ultimately fit their characters well. I especially liked the unspoken similarities and parallels between them, the things that really make them mother and son—for instance, they both hate silence and find it oppressive (side note: I loved reading about Daniel’s synesthesia, since I have the same type—I see colors when I hear music), they both chafe at the idea of doing exactly what is expected of them, and ultimately
their idea of home and a place of belonging is transient, temporary, for both of them; both of them choose to be the titular leavers
. Ko has created characters that fit this conclusion well and serve it perfectly: Polly craves the unknown, endless possibility, being in motion, and often chooses to leaves her fate up to chance; similarly, while Daniel doesn’t like to be physically adrift, his gambling habit in which he gets himself “lost” evokes the same tendencies. Speaking of Polly’s characterization, it brings up interesting questions about her life story after
Daniel finds her
. From the beginning, she’s ambivalent about motherhood—domestic life is the exact opposite of the freedom and possibility she craves—but she obviously loves her son. At the same time, though
could she have tried harder to find him after being deported to China, or did she just really want to start a new life of her own?
It’s probable that both are true at the same time; both are consistent with her multifaceted characterization; it’s what made my professor call this “a very brave novel”.

Which leads me to a disclaimer — I read this for a college class on Asian American Fiction. This review might also be influenced by my friend in that same class, who loved this novel and cited it as her favorite assigned book of the whole semester. But I genuinely think this was a well-written book that brings up very important issues. And in the end, it made me Feel Emotions—and isn’t that all you can truly ask of a novel?
Expand filter menu Content Warnings