15 May 2016

Review #430: My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal



My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Mum used to say we were the same soul split in two and walking around on four legs. It seems unnatural being born together and then dying apart.”

----Melodie Ramone



Kit de Waal, an English author, pens her debut poignant, deeply touching story in her new book, My Name is Leon that unfolds the story of a young boy who after his mother's unfit condition to take care him goes into foster care along with his newly born brother, only to be separated from his brother because of adoption. But he needs to find his younger brother and to hold on to him, because he is the only thing that matters to him in a world with no parents or home. Will he be able to find him?




Synopsis:

A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And the only way home is to find him.

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. They have gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing Pretend faces. They are threatening to take Jake away and give him to strangers. Because Jake is white and Leon is not.

As Leon struggles to cope with his anger, certain things can still make him smile – like Curly Wurlys, riding his bike fast downhill, burying his hands deep in the soil, hanging out with Tufty (who reminds him of his dad), and stealing enough coins so that one day he can rescue Jake and his mum.

Evoking a Britain of the early eighties, My Name is Leon is a story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Of the fierce bond between siblings. And how – just when we least expect it – we somehow manage to find our way home.



Leon is a nine-year old mixed race boy with a dark skin and curly hair. Leon is soon introduced to his newly born brother, Jake, who is a perfect little baby for him. Only difference between the two siblings in their skin color, Jake is white, because his dad is a white man unlike Leon's father. But after Jake's birth, Leon's mother falls sick and is unable to take care of both her boys and hence Leon and Jake are sent away to live with a foster carer, Maureen, who looks funny to Leon. Maureen is a good woman who takes care of the both boys and Leon is happy to be with Maureen as he has his little brother with him. But Leon can hear the whispers about Jake being adopted into some family who only prefer white kids and it is not long before Jake is taken away from Leon's life. Will Leon be able to protect his little brother as well as his sick mother?

In the beginning, I could not believe that this book is Kit de Waal's debut book as she has penned it like some pro author mixing the story with myriad of emotions that can deeply touch the hearts of the readers. The author's writing style is exquisite and simple and easy to comprehend with, as the author captures the voice of a 9-year old boy through her coherent narrative that will keep the readers engaged to the very core of the story. The pacing is smooth and swift as Leon's adventure turns thrilling and exciting with each turn of the page.

The brotherly connection plays an important role in this story as Leon tries to take care of his baby brother, Jake. He realizes that his responsibility of a big brother is to protect Jake with his life and no matter how hard it becomes, he will keep Jake safe. But when Jake is put into adoption, Leon does not loses hope, as he starts stealing coins so that he could someday rescue Jake from his new adopted family. Not only that, Leon also wants to take care of his sick mother, who is unfit to take of her sons. The author strikingly portrays the blood relationships into her story line.

The author paints the background of the story in the early 19th century Britain, by arresting the then social and cultural norms and changes and the people and their demeanor in those times and the whole atmosphere of the eighties, thus the readers will feel like transported back in time and place. The author not only stops there as she depicts the adoption norms of those era and the foster care picture of that time.

The characters of this book are really well-portrayed with realism. The primary character is of a 9-year old black kid, Leon, who is brave and quite mature unlike his tender age, as he is pushed into a world of responsibilities right from his childhood days. Leon is an obedient boy who listens to his elders and that makes him so loving in the eyes of the immediate strangers like Maureen who easily warmed up to him. But Leon can punish the elders when he figures out that they have been lying to him, by stealing their petty stuffs. Leon is an evocative character whose striking demeanor makes him appealing and will forever be remembered by the readers even after the end of this sad, yet beautiful story. The author captures his sadness, his dreams and goals with so profundity that will keep the readers easily feel for him.

In a nutshell, the story is not only poignant but also gripping and will make the readers think about it even after the end of this heart-breaking story about a brother.

Verdict: A must-read cute, moving and stunning story of brotherly affection.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Kit de Waal's publicist for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC copy of this book. 
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Author Info:
Kit de Waal was born in Birmingham to an Irish mother, who was a foster carer and a Caribbean father. She worked for fifteen years in criminal and family law, was a magistrate for several years and sits on adoption panels. She used to advise Social Services on the care of foster children, and has written training manuals on adoption and foster care. Her writing has received numerous awards including the Bridport Flash Fiction Prize 2014 and 2015 and the SI Leeds Literary Reader's Choice Prize 2014. My Name is Leon is her first novel. She has two children.
Visit her here 


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