Leaving the World

“Smart, stylish, and emotionally penetrating. Kennedy is a master storyteller, who never fails to keep you gripped until the last page.”

— Sarah Dunant, New York Times bestselling author of Sacred Hearts

“Leaving the World is a classy page-turner from a novelist who has become a cultural icon in Europe. This is a novel about guilt, uncertainty, redemption, and the fact that we build the roads upon which the accidents of chance occur. Kennedy's characters embark on long, complex, provocative journeys, and their ultimate strength is that -- like the writer -- they can throw off bright sparks in the dark.”

— Colum McCann, author of the 2009 National Book Award winner, Let the Great World Spin

“The tough, bright heroine of Leaving the World barrels ahead through life, with pluck and acerbity, bruises and injustices not always stepping out of her path. In his fast-paced, engrossing novels Douglas Kennedy always has his brilliant finger on the entertaining parts of human sorrow, fury, and narrow escapes. Wonderful.”

— Lorrie Moore, New York Times bestselling author of A Gate at the Stairs

“It’s high time American readers discover or rediscover the masterful storytelling abilities of Douglas Kennedy. His new novel, Leaving the World, shows that he knows all the ways that women, men, love, lust, and money collide and explode. Sophisticated, beautifully written, and full of heart, this one could well be his best yet.”

— Colin Harrsion, national bestselling author of Risk

“Douglas Kennedy ... is famous for two things: writing insightfully about women's lives, and crafting narratives so utterly gripping as to redefine the concept of unputdownable. In Leaving the World, these strengths combine to make an unforgettable reading experience ... Don't get on a long-haul flight without it, I say.”

— The Times (London)

“Kennedy is a complete genius when it comes to understanding the minds of stylish but troubled women. What’s more, he does so enthrallingly and movingly.”

— Daily Mirror (London)

“Kennedy cannot help but write grippingly.”

— Observer (London)

“This is a book with lasting impact: powerful, provocative, and tender.”

— Publishers Weekly

“Best-selling author Kennedy has created a shape-shifting hero, a brilliant, harrowed, and profane goddess who transcends every infernal trial. In this surging epic, a veritable decathlon of the spirit, Kennedy incisively dramatizes the enigma of chance, petty cruelty, and catastrophic evil, 'unalloyed grief,' and the tensile strength concealed beneath our obvious vulnerability.”

— Booklist (starred)

“Set aside the first weekend of summer to devour Leaving the World, then stock up on Kennedy's backlist on Amazon. Happy reading!”

— Joanna Coles, editor-in-chief, Marie Claire