Book Review: Leave the World Behind

Ten months ago I read a book that has stayed with me. It’s a suspenseful page-turner about a mysterious summer vacation. While I was reading it, just a month after its October 2020 release, the weather was cold outside, yet I was completely transported to sun-filled days and quiet, post-beach nights in a secluded Long Island rental house. 

It has an ominous tone from the start; the reader knows the other shoe’s going to drop, but when? Author Rumaan Alam skillfully balances typical vacation activity with moments of uncertainty, which kept me so captivated, I read the entire back half of the book in one sitting.

Leave the World Behind begins with Amanda and Clay, who have escaped the NYC heat with their kids for a week in an affluent beach town on Long Island. They never met the owners of the rental in person; the arrangements were made digitally. The house is lovely, set back from the road, with a pool in the backyard. They could picture themselves, a heterosexual white couple, owning this home. In another version of their lives, this would all be theirs. Imagine their surprise when Ruth and G.H., an older Black couple, appear at the door, claiming to be the owners escaping from an unknown threat. And without cell or internet service, Amanda and Clay can’t confirm any of it.

I won’t reveal much more, but I will point out that Alam’s details make this book truly thought-provoking. It was written prior to the pandemic, so Alam had no way of knowing that our homes would become our safe havens for more than a year. Reading about people without access to internet, phones or even a TV – essentially lifelines in lockdown – was especially profound and timely. Could you imagine knowing about the threat of Covid-19 without access to updates or details? 

The book ultimately poses bigger questions, particularly about class and race. Who do we think we are? What do we think of others? Who are we in times of crisis? 

I think this why it’s a World I haven’t left behind. The ending left my mouth agape. But it’s the conversations throughout the book that continue to kick around in my mind. The unexpected visitors rattle Clay and Amanda’s sense of self and their place in a white-centered world. Perhaps because I can see myself in Amanda. Elated to vacation in a home I couldn’t afford to own. Taking an epic trip to the grocery store to stock up on just the right food for all scenarios. How would I react to Ruth and G.H. at the door? Would I be trusting and optimistic? Or cynical and protect myself and my family over helping a stranger?

I suppose the pandemic is close enough for the purposes of conjecture. I was kind to my neighbors, but I was scared of what I touched and who I saw.  I kept to myself, my husband and dog as much as possible. When the world started to open up, I wanted to keep it small. Then again, no one was at my doorstep asking for help I was skeptical to give.

This is all credit to the plausible world Alam has built. Long Island. The beautiful house. The relationships between characters. All of their plans were altered. When we face the unexpected, do we stand with humanity? Or are we justified when we put ourselves first?

All of this is food for thought – and if it’s anything like book’s lemon-pasta recipe, you’ll want to savor its tartness. I highly recommend the read – and so does President Barack Obama who put it on his list of favorite books for 2020. So grab a copy. It’s a provocative, thrilling ride.