Review: The Ones We Leave Behind by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Synopsis:

Diane Martin had always believed that her maternal grandmother was dead, until the day a mysterious phone call revealed otherwise. Diane is shocked to discover that her grandmother, Anna, is alive and being released from prison after serving sixty-five years for murder. Despite protests from her mother, Diane decides to meet Anna and soon learns about her life and the circumstances surrounding her crime. In an attempt to put together the pieces of her broken family history, Diane discovers a devastating secret that changed all of their lives forever.

Review by Diane-Lyn:

The Ones We Leave Behind is a historical fiction novel spanning from 1936 – 2020. Each chapter focuses on one of the two central characters – Diane and Anna. I like how the novel is structured. It begins in 2020 with a bombshell discovery, giving the reader the “big pow” up front. Then it circles back to the events leading up to it, with chapters alternating between the past and present. The reader is transported back in time and presented with the full backstory of Anna’s life – the agonizing details of her unstable childhood, her later marriage and family, and the circumstances that led up to the murder and her long incarceration. Novels structured in this way do not carry the element of rising suspense, but The Ones We Leave Behind is an engaging page turner nonetheless. I was so intrigued by Anna’s story – that of a beautiful, well-educated woman whose life went horribly wrong.

The Ones We Leave Behind is the story of a broken woman, a broken family and a broken system. This novel poignantly yet accurately demonstrates the societal view of women in past decades. Their inferior status and paltry resources left them with limited options. In times of trouble, these women were completely isolated and faced a whole lot of shame and personal sacrifice. Poverty, alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, abuse, secrets and lies are just a few of the themes in this thought-provoking novel. The Ones We Leave Behind is well-written and well-organized. The plot line is clear, smooth, and well-paced. Sletten offers complex and relatable characters. Each of them are burdened with their own struggles related to multi-generational patterns of dysfunction. Yet, each one also undergoes a courageous evolvement over time as they come to terms with these issues. Most importantly, all mothers will connect with a universal truism; we will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything in order to protect our children.

I highly recommend The Ones We Leave Behind. Sletten has done a superior job of creating a sad, yet rich and deeply touching novel that is a must read for women of all generations. Bravo!

“You have to remember, it was a different time. People didn’t easily get divorced, and I was raised to do what I was told. It was always the woman’s fault if her husband wasn’t happy…” Anna from The Ones We Leave Behind, Deanna Lynn Sletten

Purchase:

To purchase The Ones We Leave Behind, click here: Amazon. Please note that this is an Amazon affiliate link, which only means that if you click the link and make a purchase, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. Happy reading!

Best, Diane-Lyn