In "What I Leave Behind" by Alison McGhee, we follow the emotional journey of a young girl named 13-year-old Ruth, who is grappling with the loss of her mother. As she navigates the complexities of grief, Ruth discovers a series of notes written by her mother, which guide her through her healing process. Each note offers wisdom and insight, encouraging Ruth to confront her pain, embrace her memories, and find strength in her identity. The story beautifully explores themes of love, loss, and the lasting impact of those we cherish, illuminating how we carry our loved ones with us even after they're gone. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is aimed at children at US 9th grade+.

This book has been graded for interest at 14-17 years.

There are 224 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2019 by Atheneum Books .

Alison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of both adult and children's books. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota