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My Name Is Leon

By Kit de Waal
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Check link for latest rating. ( 12,328 ratings, 1,390 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal is a touching story set in the 1980s, focusing on a mixed-race boy named Leon, who finds his world turned upside down when his family is torn apart. With his younger brother in a different foster home, Leon navigates the complexities of love and identity while cherishing his memories and seeking connections that offer belonging and hope. The narrative explores themes of family, resilience, and the pursuit of understanding in a changing world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate heartwarming stories exploring themes of family, belonging, and resilience. Set during the 1980s in Birmingham, it follows a young boy's journey through the foster care system, offering a blend of humour and poignancy with rich character development and emotional depth. It's perfect for those who enjoy narratives that are both touching and thought-provoking.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And a family where you'd least expect to find one.

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. Their mum isn't feeling herself, so they've 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 give Jake to strangers, since Jake is white and Leon is not.

Evoking a Britain of the early eighties, My Name Is Leon is a heart-breaking story of love, identity, and learning to overcome unbearable loss. It's a tale of the fierce bond between siblings and how, just when we least expect it, we manage to find our way home.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal is widely praised for its tender and heart-breaking narrative. Critics commend it for being a beautiful story imbued with compassion, urgency, and wit. Readers appreciate its vivid and endearing portrayal of Leon, a resilient boy navigating a challenging world, with the book leaving a lasting impression due to its authentic and powerful storytelling.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241973387

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 April 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 205g

Pages: 288

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Kit de Waal Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Kit de Waal, born to an Irish mother and Caribbean father, was brought up among the Irish community of Birmingham in the 60's and 70's. Her debut novel My Name Is Leon was an international bestseller, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and won the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award for 2017. Her second novel, The Trick to Time, was longlisted for the Women's Prize and her young adult novel Becoming Dinah is shortlisted for the Carnegie CLIP Award 2020. She also crowdfunded and edited an anthology of working class memoir, Common People, which was published in 2018. Kit was named the FutureBook Person of the Year in 2019.

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