Leaving The World By
Douglas Kennedy
On the night of her thirteenth birthday while her parents fought and her father drank too much, Jane Howard vowed to her warring parents that she would never get married and never have children.
This statement was to have a huge influence on the rest of her childhood and and this in turn impacts on her relationships and her adult life.
Jane Howard is betrayed or let down by nearly everyone close to her and when tragedy strikes she is compelled to destroy her old life and "leave the world".
This Douglas Kennedy book takes a while to get going and some of the story lines are a bit implausible.However Kennedy demonstrates again his deep insight into womens' lives and his excellence at crafting narratives that grip his readers.
If you are new to Douglas Kennedy, I would recommend his work. Be careful not to judge his gift of telling a good story by this book. Its not his best and I would suggest that he has other wonderful books that are better reads. This one is good at certain points but not great.
Elaine
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