The Leavers cover art

The Leavers

A Novel

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The Leavers

By: Lisa Ko
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
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About this listen

One morning, Deming Guo's mother, an undocumented Chinese immigrant named Polly, goes to her job at the nail salon and never comes home. No one can find any trace of her. With his mother gone, 11-year-old Deming is left with no one to care for him. He is eventually adopted by two white college professors who move him from the Bronx to a small town upstate. They rename him Daniel Wilkinson in their efforts to make him over into their version of an "all-American boy". But far away from all he's ever known, Daniel struggles to reconcile his new life with his mother's disappearance and the memories of the family and community he left behind. Set in New York and China, The Leavers is a vivid and moving examination of borders and belonging. It's the story of how one boy comes into his own when everything he's loved has been taken away - and how a mother learns to live with the mistakes of her past.

©2017 Lisa Ko (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction United States World Literature China

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All stars
Most relevant  
I just know this is a book that will stay with me. It felt like a real insight into some of the experiences described of an immigrant mother and adopted son but also all the characters that surround them and of course, ultimately, all lived experience.

Fascinating

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Love references to China and Chinese culture and lifestyle. The story itself was moving and compelling.

Great storytelling

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This story raises the issues a child and mother experience when they are forcefully and unexpectedly separated. It looks at the journey through the care system and cross cultural adoption, and the boys difficulties finding an identity and sense of belonging. It looks at migration, poverty and the financial and emotional costs of illegal immigration. Despite the heavy subject matter it gives some indications of hope, family connections, nature’s calming influence, true friendship and coming of age experiences. I enjoyed the story and the narration which brought the characters to life.

Realistic portrayal of the impact of trauma for mother and son

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Absolutely loved this book. Complex, ambitious and perfect in its structure, covering decades, cultures and continents. The narration was simply brilliant, the narrator moving between male and female, young and old, voicing each character bringing them fully and distinctly to life. I can’t believe this was Lisa Ko’s first novel- for me it was on a par with Franzen and Donna Tartt’s best offerings.

Can’t wait for the next Lisa Ko novel...

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I had previously read this and enjoyed it but could not finish listening to this narrator.

Terrible narrator. Over emotional and bad at doing multiple characters. Ruined the book

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