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    What I Leave Behind
    What I Leave Behind
    What I Leave Behind
    Ebook212 pages52 minutes

    What I Leave Behind

    By Alison McGhee

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “An artful exercise in melancholy…Every reader will love openhearted Will.” —Booklist (starred review)
    “Haunting, introspective.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
    “Emotionally raw…[A] piercing narrative.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
    “McGhee artfully illustrates the tangled web wherein grief intertwines with the mundane.” —BCCB

    After his dad dies of suicide, Will tries to overcome his own misery by secretly helping the people around him in this exquisitely crafted story made up of one hundred chapters of one hundred words each, by award-winning and bestselling author Alison McGhee.

    Sixteen-year-old Will spends most of his days the same way: Working at the Dollar Only store, trying to replicate his late father’s famous cornbread recipe, and walking the streets of Los Angeles. Will started walking after his father committed suicide, and three years later he hasn’t stopped. But there are some places Will can’t walk by: The blessings store with the chest of 100 Chinese blessings in the back, the bridge on Fourth Street where his father died, and his childhood friend Playa’s house.

    When Will learns Playa was raped at a party—a party he was at, where he saw Playa, and where he believes he could have stopped the worst from happening if he hadn’t left early—it spurs Will to stop being complacent in his own sadness and do some good in the world. He begins to leave small gifts for everyone in his life, from Superman the homeless guy he passes on his way to work, to the Little Butterfly Dude he walks by on the way home, to Playa herself. And it is through those acts of kindness that Will is finally able to push past his own trauma and truly begin to live his life again. Oh, and discover the truth about that cornbread.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster
    Release dateMay 15, 2018
    ISBN9781481476584
    Author

    Alison McGhee

    Alison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of Someday, as well as Dear Sister, What I Leave Behind, Pablo and Birdy, Where We Are, Maybe a Fox with Kathi Appelt, Firefly Hollow, Little Boy, So Many Days, Star Bright, A Very Brave Witch, Dear Brother, and the Bink and Gollie books. Her other children’s books include All Rivers Flow to the Sea, Countdown to Kindergarten, and Snap!. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Laguna Beach, California. You can visit her at AlisonMcGhee.com.

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    Reviews for What I Leave Behind

    4/5

    33 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. I mean, honestly, it had its own rhythm...neither story nor poem, and yet with SO MUCH to share. Once I was on the same page with Will, his story became a sum of many parts and things started to get heart-stoppingly real.

      I think everyone will read a little something different into the story. The way it's told, how their lives are revealed, seems to lend a certain angular perspective to everything, allowing readers to catch whichever side reveals itself most clearly. To me, it was an ode to life and the misfortunes and smiles it brings. It was a glimpse at the small things we do, the interactions we have, that may seem meaningless in the moment, but have the power to transform another heart. It was about how the simple act of walking, of losing yourself in the right, left, right pattern we pound out on the pavement every day, can bring us peace, a time to reflect on what's happening in our lives and the lives of those we love, and answers...but it can also help us strip away all the funk that tries to drag us down.

      For me, it felt like a reminder that everyone goes through things in life...some much harder/harsher than others...but we're never truly alone in the struggle nor the recovery. The simple way it was illustrated allowed the unique format to deliver a story that was deceptively deep, and anything but forgettable. Recommended for teen readers and beyond both to further the enjoyment of the story structure as well as the subject matters broached.


      **copy received for review
    • 5/5
      I can't believe a book this small managed to touch my heart so completely. The book is barely 10,000 words long (if my maths is correct) and yet, it's so beautiful.


      The book is broken down into 100 chapters, all having the length of 100 words. This unique format made it even more interesting and I found myself flipping pages at the speed of light. 


      Will is a teenager who's been through a lot. His dad's death, and the rape of his best friend affect him in various ways. What I love is, his positive response to the situation. He tries to make everyone's life better, even his. And he succeeds. 


      I'm so glad I got the chance to read this book and I'll definitely recommend you to check it out!
    • 4/5
      Will walks everywhere. Sometimes he just needs to walk to keep the thoughts of his father at bay. On his walks, he sees people, and he sees small ways to help make their lives better. His boss, his friend Playa, a dog, and a little boy who loves butterflies all benefit from Will's small kindnesses.
    • 5/5
      *An finished-hardcover copy of WHAT I LEAVE BEHIND was sent to me for free by the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for an honest review. All thoughts here are my very own. Brilliant writing and composition - the author made me feel so many emotions that left me wanting to have a better attitude on life and the people around me.WHAT I LEAVE BEHIND is another book that is going on my favorite shelf... I read this book twice in one day. TWICE! Written in 100 pages with only a 100 words per page, the author delivers a strong and moving story about a teen named Will who is coping with the loss of his father and the tragedies that surround him... Will is just a kid trying to get by. Every day he thinks of his dad, who committed suicide a few years ago. If it weren't for the note that they found, he would never have believed it. He doesn't talk to anyone about it, but he does try to cope with it with something that has always stuck with him, something that his dad used to do... we get to see Will go to work, his relationship with his boss and how Will tries to make his boss feel like he's something important, that he is being seen... we also get to see a small boy in Will's neighborhood and how Will tries to keep an eye on him and leaves the boy small trinkets thinking that it will give the little boy extra time to stay little and naive in thinking that there really is magic in the world, to have an imagination and play, before being disillusioned into the real world... and then there are the feelings that he is dealing with in regards to his best friend Playa. Playa who he hasn't been able to see yet; the guilt he feels about what happened to her and how he can help her. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think of how many people are out there that are in the same place as Will is. How important it is to take the time to truly see people and that it doesn't take much to give a person a little of your time - even if it is just a smile. The littlest thing can bring so much joy to a person... As a mom, all I wanted to do was reach into the book, grab Will, and give him a huge hug and a big ol' plate of freshly baked cookies and tell him that things will get better, it'll be okay. Even though he seems to have figured that out on his own, and I felt proud. I know I had nothing to do with how Will was handling things, but I was happy to see that instead of being a destructive teen, he was doing his best to bring happiness back into his life and into those he thought could use some too.I do have to admit that I was a bit skeptical at first when I was told that this book was written in such a way - 100 words within 100 pages - surely this wasn't enough to tell someone's story. But it was and is! I feel that the format definitely gave me just enough of a glimpse into Will's life - I not only got to see his day to day routine but also got to see what he was thinking and feeling. The format very much felt like journal entries, but more... I was completely invested in learning about him and emotionally engaged and being there with him while he sorted out this period in his life. Will's personality shines, good and bad; where there was sadness, there was also hope. And I think that many people need to read this as a way to know that no matter where you are in life, a little positivity, the tiniest bit of kindness, can truly change someone's world.
    • 4/5
      teen fiction (diverse characters coping with tragedy in an urban/working class setting- loss of dad to suicide, trying to figure out how to support his friend having been raped at a party)short chapters almost make this a novel in verse, but thankfully it's not (unless you are a legendary spoken word poet like Elizabeth Acevedo, please do not attempt this). The story is partly told through what Will doesn't say, making it even more resonant and powerful. There also isn't a lot of wasted words--each paragraph moves the character and his story forward--even though the jacket blurb seems to indicate he spends a lot of time walking endlessly around his city, the text focuses on the people he encounters on his journey instead of detailing his footsteps from place to place to place (see, you are getting bored just thinking about that tediousness). It's actually very well done.Other than occasionally wanting to shout at Will to just use the recipe printed on the side of the cornmeal box rather than trying to recreate a cornbread recipe from fragmented memories, I really liked this book and enjoyed spending time with this thoughtful, caring boy. He isn't perfect, but we could all learn a lot from his choices. It's also a really beautiful, diverse cover. Thank you.
    • 4/5
      "What do I say? Playa is a ghost girl and I'm a ghost boy and the little white gift bag is a ghost gift and we're sitting on the top stop in the dark, ghosts all around us." p. 189

      Will walks to deal with his feelings, despair, anger, sadness, confusion, guilt, and abandonment. He's not willing to leave others behind; he cares for his employer, Major Tom, finding ways to make him feel "hip" and included. He leaves little gifts for his friend Playa, who is going to need to be tough. He also leaves a gift or two for the boy who lives on his path to work, "Little Butterfly Dude." Will even gives his cornbread trials to Superman, a homeless man near his walking path. Each of these people are like Will, they are adrift and need an anchor. Will's empathy is a powerful example of what one can do even when one feels like there is nothing much left.

      This is a short read--there is text on only the right hand pages. The left have Chinese characters on them. Will talks about the Blessings store, so I wanted to think that that is what they are.

    Book preview

    What I Leave Behind - Alison McGhee

    You ever had real cornbread?

    Like from a cast iron skillet stuck in the oven to preheat while you mix the batter? A hot, hot oven. So hot that before you open the door you have to put oven mitts on your hands.

    And when you take the cast iron skillet out, you pour in a little melted butter and it hisses, the skillet’s that hot, and then you pour in the batter and it starts to brown and puff around the edges even before you put the skillet back in.

    That kind of cornbread, that’s the kind I mean.

    You got your various cornbreads, my dad used to say. You got your nonsweet southern, your sweetish northern. And then you got your dad’s cornbread.

    The way he said it was like he was speaking in boldface. You know?

    Dad’s cornbread.

    He used to put it together from a recipe in his head. Maybe I’ll try to make it tonight. I do that sometimes, try to re-create the recipe. Try to make it come out the way his did.

    I keep the cast iron skillet in my closet. Eggs in the fridge. Butter. No milk, but that’s okay. Water works.

    Sometimes you got to walk the day out of you. You know? Walk it right out through the soles of your feet.

    Dollar Only’s closed now, my shift is over, it’s Tuesday night, which means my mom’s got the overnight shift and she’s not going to notice if I’m not home.

    The night and its sidewalks are right out that door.

    Wring out the mop, empty the bucket, sign out. Say goodbye to Major Tom, waiting to lock up and exit out the back door to his car.

    Major Tom, he’s not a walker. Most people aren’t. But I am.

    Tonight the air itself is dark. That happens sometimes. It’s not just the lack of sun, it’s the presence of darkness.

    If you’re a walker, a real walker, your feet can figure out the right route. Sometimes the right route is one that goes past the places you love, like the cathedral, like the park off Whittier, like the Grand Central Market and its stalls.

    Sometimes the right route is the route not past other places, places you maybe love but can’t walk by right now.

    Like Playa’s house.

    Like the blessings store.

    Like the river bridge over Fourth Street.

    Let your feet find the way. You’ll know it when they do. Then let the day drain out of you. Let whatever comes into your head just float around in there.

    What’s in there tonight? Cornbread. Black cast iron cornbread like my dad used to make.

    And that raggy little blanket Playa used to carry to school in her backpack, back in elementary school.

    And the case in the back of the blessings store, a hundred blessings all numbered in Chinese.

    To unbreak your broken heart.

    To make a cloud of safety around you.

    To light at night for peace.

    How I got the job at Dollar Only was I saw the ad posted in the corner of the window.

    So why here? said Major Tom. Why Dollar Only?

    I need to start

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