What I Leave Behind

Review from Voice of Youth Advocates:

Will walks. He walks out his troubles, his thoughts, and his memories. He walks to get from place to place. He avoids walking past some locations, though he does not tell readers why. He walks to be in the world, to notice and respond to what he encounters along the way, from Superman, the homeless person who lives on First Street, to the little dude who waits for butterfly visits to the dog of insanity. What I Leave Behind tells the stories of such moments, along with those from his work at Dollar Only and more, in one hundred single-page chapters, each introduced by number with Chinese calligraphy. Will is also walking to deal with some traumatic issues that have happened to and around him. Slender in size but not in substance, What I Leave Behind is a deceptively quiet story that seeps into the reader’s consciousness. Will speaks directly to readers, inviting them in and gradually sharing what is on his mind and in his heart. The result is a finely woven thread of fragments, sensory details, observations, and contemplative reflections. Will is a thoughtful, often-funny character who reads people and understands how seemingly small gestures can be significant. Although he does not show big emotion, he allows readers to glimpse how much he feels, and how much small gestures affect him, too. Memories burn into Will, and through his narrative, they burn into readers, too. Readers who appreciate quieter meditations on life, as well as those who enjoy poetry and short, reflective prose pieces, will find much to savor in this spare text of introspection.