Leave the World Behind

Safety. One of the reminders we all received as we opened the gift of the pandemic is that life can change in an instant. Rumaan Alam offers readers a finely written novel titled, Leave the World Behind, that places characters into a setting of uncertainty in which they face a world that has changed. A couple and their two children rented a rural house for a week’s vacation away from New York City. The owners show up at the house late at night and ask if they can stay there because something caused a massive blackout in the city. Alam explores the ways in which we respond to shock and change, and what creates a sense of safety or threat for us. Readers find themselves in the middle of issues of race, class, privilege and ambiguity. Perhaps all we desire is to survive whatever comes at us so we can live for another day. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Leave the World Behind from amazon.com.