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Leaving the World (2009)

by Douglas Kennedy

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4332357,215 (3.46)5
Jane Howard is a professor in Boston, in love with a brilliant, erratic man named Theo, and she becomes pregnant. Motherhood turns out to be a great welcome surprise--but when a devastating turn of events tears her existence apart she has no choice but to flee all she knows and leave the world. Just when she has renounced life itself, the disappearance of a young girl pulls her back from the edge and into an obsessive search for some sort of personal redemption. Convinced that she knows more about the case than the police do, she is forced to make a decision--stay hidden or bring to light a shattering truth.… (more)
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English (17)  French (3)  German (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (22)
Showing 1-5 of 17 (next | show all)
The character is very well developed but I have to question whether ALL of the back stories were necessary to understanding her. I truthfully had to fight through some chapters and at times it felt as if it could be two separate books. I was glad I hung on until the end and quite enjoyed the detective work involved. The story seemed to reveal the power of intuition and the truth that by caring for others, we often mend parts of ourselves. ( )
  NikiKropf | Feb 18, 2020 |
The character is very well developed but I have to question whether ALL of the back stories were necessary to understanding her. I truthfully had to fight through some chapters and at times it felt as if it could be two separate books. I was glad I hung on until the end and quite enjoyed the detective work involved. The story seemed to reveal the power of intuition and the truth that by caring for others, we often mend parts of ourselves. ( )
  NikiKropf | Feb 18, 2020 |
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, as I have many of DK's novels. Not exactly unputdownable but well worth sticking to it. ( )
  JW1949 | Aug 31, 2016 |
I cannot remember a single thing about this book. Was it that bad! ( )
  mumoftheanimals | Jul 21, 2015 |
I've liked all of Kennedy's books though this was my least favourite. ( )
  Penske | Feb 15, 2013 |
Showing 1-5 of 17 (next | show all)
FICTIONAL lives are rarely as messy as that of Jane Howard, the plaything of fate in Douglas Kennedy's latest novel. A precis: bright young woman from a dysfunctional family does doctorate at Harvard, has affair with professor, is struck by tragedy, grieves, goes into the world of high finance, loses her job, goes back to academia, falls in love (sort of), has daughter, is struck by tragedy, grieves, tries to leave the world in various ways.

Kennedy is known for writing authentically about complex women, .... and Jane certainly fits the bill, narrating her story directly and with easy intelligence. ...an unconvincing shift into detective fiction towards the end of this otherwise absorbing novel.
added by justjim | editThe Age, Lorien Kaye (Mar 14, 2009)
 
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Jane Howard is a professor in Boston, in love with a brilliant, erratic man named Theo, and she becomes pregnant. Motherhood turns out to be a great welcome surprise--but when a devastating turn of events tears her existence apart she has no choice but to flee all she knows and leave the world. Just when she has renounced life itself, the disappearance of a young girl pulls her back from the edge and into an obsessive search for some sort of personal redemption. Convinced that she knows more about the case than the police do, she is forced to make a decision--stay hidden or bring to light a shattering truth.

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