The Leavers

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One morning, Deming Guo's mother, Polly, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, goes to work at a nail salon and never returns. Eleven-year-old Deming is left confused and heartbroken as no trace of her can be found. Eventually adopted by two well-meaning white professors, he is relocated from the Bronx to a small town and renamed Daniel Wilkinson. Struggling to adapt, Daniel grapples with his adoptive parents' expectations to assimilate while clinging to memories of his mother and the community he left behind. Set against the backdrop of New York and China, this narrative explores themes of borders and belonging. It tells a poignant story of a boy's journey to self-discovery in the face of loss and a mother's struggle to cope with her past mistakes. The book resonates with contemporary issues surrounding immigration in America, portraying a rich, multifaceted portrait of displacement and the trauma of not belonging. It has been recognized as a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction and won the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction, earning accolades from various publications as one of the best reads of the year.