[Review] Leaving Home: Short Pieces by Jodi Picoult

Leaving Home: Short Pieces by Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publishing Date: Oct 1, 2011
Format: audio, library
2 CDs
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis 

Leaving Home brings together three, previously published short pieces, each dealing with a variation on the theme of leaving home. The first, “Weights and Measures,” deals with the tragic loss of a child; the second is a non-fiction letter Picoult wrote to her eldest son as he left for college; and, “Ritz” tells the story of a mother who takes the vacation all mothers need sometime.

My Review

I found this Audio CD at the local library and couldn't pass it up! I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan and have read almost everything she's written (I just bought Lone Wolf, so after that, it will be everything :)). The first short piece in this set was a letter she wrote to her son when he left for college. I really liked this letter; it was so real. I don't know whether her son appreciated it as much when he first got it, but I think as time goes on, he'll treasure that letter. The great thing about it being published is that he'll always have a copy of it.

The second story was Weight and Measures, which deals with the loss of a child. The couple in this story is struggling so much to continue on with day-to-day living. Both parents are dealing with the loss in different ways, and don't completely understand or relate to how the other parent is coping. I wish this story had been longer because I felt like it was just cut off. I also wish I knew more about what happened to the daughter, because it was a little vague. But overall, I still liked it.

The third story, Ritz, was probably my favorite of these three. Its about a mom who takes a vacation from her family. When she does this, her family has to learn to cope without their rock that's holding the family together and keeps everything moving. I didn't like how she went about taking this vacation, but I think she got her point across to her family. She needed to remember who she was as a person, other than a mom and a wife.