2024 Book Review Series: Women are Tired

When I found this book at a thrift store a few months back, I was drawn to the simplistic yet colourful cover page, the short yet demanding title, and - most of all - the central theme that pervades this book so deeply that it shines through even in the blurb. That theme is the plight of womanhood, a topic that I've grown increasingly interested in (or rather, distressed by) in recent years.

Gayle Forman's Leave Me follows a working mother of twin four-year-olds, Maribeth Klein, who suffers a heart attack in her early forties. She manages the symptoms until an appointment with her OBGYN - scheduled the day after the attack by chance - ends in emergency bypass surgery and a lengthy stay in the hospital. In the weeks following her heart attack, Maribeth loses patience with her husband, Jason's, refusal to contribute to childcare and house chores. Not long after her return home, Maribeth packs a bag, sends Jason an accusatory email, and flees New York for Pittsburgh.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, what drew me to this novel and what I enjoyed most about it was its commentary on womanhood. In particular, Forman addresses the experience of motherhood. We see this time and time again: the mother is the "strict" parent who makes the kids take baths, eat their vegetables, and go to bed at a decent hour. The father, on the other hand, is the "fun" parent who plays ball with them in the yard, cooks them dino nuggets for dinner, and gives them ice cream right before bed. In each of these scenarios, as Gayle demonstrates with Maribeth and Jason, the father frames the mother as the "strict" parent by sticking all parental responsibility on his wife.

The more I speak to mothers, the more I recognize that, extreme as it may seem, Gayle was on to something when she wrote Maribeth's sudden departure. Few mothers abandon their families to teach their husbands a lesson, but many mothers fantasize about it. Maribeth's emotional journey in Leave Me is raw and real and needs to be spoken about more.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the message this book sets out to deliver, I settled on a two-star rating. I struggled to connect with the prose and felt that the character relationships were undeveloped. I also found the ending came too easily and left a few conflicts unsolved.

Even though the writing was not for me, I am glad to have come across Leave Me at the thrift store. For less than five dollars, I came to know more about an aspect of womanhood I have not yet experienced. Since I try to keep only my favourite books on my shelf, I'll likely drop this copy back off at a second-hand shop, but I hope someone else will find as much value in the message as I did.