A Country You Can Leave
ByPublisher Description
“From page one, A Country You Can Leave is a riveting, exasperating, and deeply heartbreaking tale of mother-daughter strife and resilience.” —Xochitl Gonzalez, author of Olga Dies Dreaming
A stunning debut novel following the turbulent relationship of a Black biracial teen and her ferocious Russian mother, struggling to survive in the California desert.
When sixteen-year-old Lara and her fiery mother, Yevgenia, find themselves homeless again, the misnamed Oasis Mobile Estates is all they can afford. In this new community, where residents are down on their luck but rich in humor and escape plans, Lara navigates what it means to be the Black biracial daughter of a Russian mother and begins to wonder what a life beyond Yevgenia’s orbit—with her insistence on reading only the right kind of books (Russian) and having the right kind of relationships (casual, with lots of sex)—might look like.
Lara knows that something else lies beneath her mother’s fierce, independent spirit, but Yevgenia doesn’t believe in sharing, least of all with her daughter. When a brutal attack exposes the cracks in their relationship, Lara and Yevgenia are forced to confront the family legacy of violence and the strain of inherited trauma on the bonds of their love.
A Country You Can Leave is a dazzling, sharp-witted story suffused with yearning, as Lara and Yevgenia attempt to forge their own identities and thrive in a hostile land. Compelling and empathetic, wry and intimate, Asale Angel-Ajani’s unforgettable debut novel examines the beauty and dangers of womanhood in multiracial America.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities73 Reviews
yennedyk
Created 4 days ago
“a heart breaking, and unfortunately for myself and many others, a very realistic portrait on the complication relationship between mothers and daughters when both of them are not enough for themselves or each other.
this is a story about a mother trying and often struggling to be mother and her daughter struggling to build an identity for herself when she’s had to wear so many hats in order to just…survive.
she’s the provider.
she’s the caretaker.
she’s the daughter.
she’s the friend.
but who is she outside of these roles? what is her identity?
it was a tough challenging book to read, but one that i’m glad i gave the chance!”haley montoya
Created about 2 months agosl_r
Created 7 months agothatbookladyselena🫧📖
Created 12 months agoreed jones
Created about 1 year agoAbout Asale Angel-Ajani
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