There is a lot that's said in the summary for this book that touches on everything this book is about. But the emotional connection is something that cannot be summarized. Indeed, nor can it be assumed that everyone can connect with Maribeth Klein, the narrator of this incredible book.

For me, this was a very personal book. I wasn't adopted, but I have been formed and molded from a decent factory of abandonment machines. I won't get into my story, but Maribeth's voice was able to say and put into words things that I have yet to realize in dealing with my own issues of abandonment. As Maribeth finds out, it's difficult sometimes to get at the crux of those issues when you are so certain you are a well-adjusted individual, or you presume yourself to be because you aren't outwardly that screwed up.

Perhaps from the summary, this novel can come off a little trite and self-indulgent for our narrator, but this really isn't about some woman going off for no reason, abandoning her own family, and rebuilding her life elsewhere. This is a book that creates a metaphor with a heart attack—Maribeth's damaged heart—and weaves into that the story of having been abandoned and realizing how that can affect and shape who you are, whether you acknowledge it having done so or not.

With surprising depth, this is the kind of contemporary book that made me nod my head and shout, "Yes! Exactly!" out to the room, to myself. Forman nailed it, and none of it was too sugary or sweet, nor too wallow-y or gloomy. What makes Leave Me so wonderful is that it truly is not only about Maribeth and her journey, but it's also a fantastic example of human nature with sensational, true-to-life characters.