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Leaving Atlanta Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,614 ratings

From the author of the Oprah's Book Club Selection An American Marriage, here is a beautifully evocative novel that proves why Tayari Jones is "one of the most important voices of her generation" (Essence).
It was the end of summer, a summer during the two-year nightmare in which Atlanta's African-American children were vanishing and twenty-nine would be found murdered by 1982. Here fifth-grade classmates Tasha Baxter, Rodney Green, and Octavia Harrison will discover back-to-school means facing everyday challenges in a new world of safety lessons, terrified parents, and constant fear.

The moving story of their struggle to grow up-and survive- shimmers with the piercing, ineffable quality of childhood, as it captures all the hurts and little wins, the all-too-sudden changes, and the merciless, outside forces that can sweep the young into adulthood and forever shape their lives.

PRAISE FOR TAYARI JONES
"Tayari Jones is blessed with vision to see through to the surprising and devastating truths at the heart of ordinary lives, strength to wrest those truths free, and a gift of language to lay it all out, compelling and clear." -- Michael Chabon

"Tayari Jones has emerged as one of the most important voices of her generation." -- Essence

"One of America's finest writers." -- Nylon.com

"Tayari Jones is a wonderful storyteller." -- Ploughsharesspan

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on the Atlanta child murders of 1979-1980, this wrenching debut novel is told from the perspective of three Atlanta fifth-graders living in the midst of the crisis. Tasha is a sweet, conflicted middle-class girl navigating the harsh social waters of her school. Rodney, "the weirdest boy in class," is an unpopular kid who feels both pushed and ignored by his perfectionist parents. Octavia is a whip-smart, confident social outcast who carefully notes that she lives "across the street" from the projects. Jones, who was a child herself in Atlanta in the late '70s and early '80s, weaves her tale with consummate ease, shifting from third to second to first person as she switches narrators. The details of the children's everyday life playground fights, school cafeteria breakfasts, candy store visits are convincingly presented and provide an emotional context for the murders. When classmates begin disappearing, we know that they, along with their peers, are not one-dimensional innocents. One night when Octavia sneaks a late-night look at the local news, she sees a now-missing classmate flash on the screen. "In the picture he looked like a regular boy from our class. He was by himself so you couldn't tell that he was shorter than most of them and just nicer and smarter than all of them put together. Kodak commercials say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the one they showed of Rodney ain't worth more than three or four. Boy. Black. Dead." This strongly grounded tale hums with the rhythms of schoolyard life and proves Jones to be a powerful storyteller.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Narrated in succession by three extremely perceptive (though at times almost too precocious) fifth graders, this first novel engagingly conveys the paranoia and fear that dominated the African American community in Atlanta during the 1979 child murders, a time when almost two dozen black children were abducted and murdered, their corpses abandoned in the countryside. While the ending of the final section seems too pat (and this reviewer also wishes that the book had a better title), Jones is still able to capture what it feels like to be ten-that fascinating interstitial moment when one can be simultaneously torn between being savvy enough to know that all is not right with the world and devastated at not being invited to a popular classmate's sleepover. Jones is particularly good at portraying the day-to-day lives of these children-their often difficult home lives and their mundane but fascinating school experiences-although, as in many novels narrated by children, the adults don't come off very well. In style, tone, and approach, Jones's novel is reminiscent of another excellent realistic novel of African American social life, Thuliani Davis's 1959. For most public libraries, especially those with large African American collections.
Roger A. Berger, Everett Community Coll., WA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00295XKMO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing (May 9, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 9, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 898 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,614 ratings

About the author

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Tayari Jones
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Tayari Jones is the author of the novels Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, Silver Sparrow, and An American Marriage (Algonquin Books, February 2018). Her writing has appeared in Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo. A member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, she has also been a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Silver Sparrow was named a #1 Indie Next Pick by booksellers in 2011, and the NEA added it to its Big Read Library of classics in 2016. Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. An Associate Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University, she is spending the 2017-18 academic year as the Shearing Fellow for Distinguished Writers at the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,614 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They praise the writing style and pacing, finding it captivating and heartfelt. Readers describe the story as poignant and moving, eliciting emotions from them. The characters are well-developed and relatable to them. The perspective of the children is appreciated, with sensitive portrayals of their inner lives.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

52 customers mention "Readability"50 positive2 negative

Customers find the book engaging with its dynamic narration and compelling story. They describe it as an interesting read with excellent writing that keeps them hooked from start to finish.

"...peer pressure, and just her dynamic use of narration, made this book an awesome read...." Read more

"Excellent book. Well written. Jones is a great Author and this is the 3rd book I have read that she has written...." Read more

"...I think Leaving Atlanta was just an okay read. I would give another one of Ms. Jones' books a try...." Read more

"...kids using first, second, and third person perspective was unique and perfect, the story so moving and heartbreaking...." Read more

31 customers mention "Writing quality"31 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book. They find the writing brilliant, beautifully told, and easy to read. The author does a fabulous job making the reader feel as though they are right next to the characters. The book is a great addition to their book collection and a page-turner. The places, language, fear, actual events, and story told by the children are compelling and unique.

"...It is a beautiful, insightful, heartbreaking, and incredibly well-written piece of work...." Read more

"Excellent book. Well written. Jones is a great Author and this is the 3rd book I have read that she has written...." Read more

"Incredibly strong moving story told by the children..rare and moving. I will definitely read over and over...." Read more

"...Like I said, it was very well written, a great all-around novel, but it just wasn't what I was used to...." Read more

28 customers mention "Story quality"25 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the gripping story that keeps them hooked from start to finish. They find it interesting, riveting, and insightful. The well-developed plot is original and explores human complexity. Readers appreciate the realistic setting and the fact that the book centers around a real event.

"...that number to "Leaving Atlanta," which is one of the best works of historical fiction I have ever read...." Read more

"I found this book to be extremely interesting...." Read more

"...second, and third person perspective was unique and perfect, the story so moving and heartbreaking...." Read more

"Incredibly strong moving story told by the children..rare and moving. I will definitely read over and over...." Read more

22 customers mention "Heartfelt story"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the story poignant and engaging. They say it's moving and relatable to those who lived through that period. The characters are described as touching and feeling the readers' emotions.

"...It is a beautiful, insightful, heartbreaking, and incredibly well-written piece of work...." Read more

"...person perspective was unique and perfect, the story so moving and heartbreaking...." Read more

"...by Tayari Jones I must say that these were two very real and thoughtful stories that grabbed my mind and heart...." Read more

"...feel as though your right next to the main character, feeling her thoughts and emotions. I hated to say goodbye to her." Read more

19 customers mention "Character development"19 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters. They feel the characters' emotions and become attached to them. The narrators describe the characters as children who are still in an innocence place.

"...the author's brilliant choice to use these narrators: These characters are children, still in a place of innocence and on the brink of being..." Read more

"...I enjoyed the different characters that the author introduced in the story....her description of how children play together, poverty at that time,..." Read more

"In Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones I did find some of the characters easy to relate to from that particular era because I was around the same age..." Read more

"...Excellent character development. All the major characters grew - no stereotypes...." Read more

17 customers mention "Perspective"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's perspective from the children's point of view. They find the portrayal of children's inner lives sensitive and engaging. The use of first, second, and third-person perspectives is unique and perfect. Readers also understand the adults in the book as community activists, teachers, and community organizers.

"...gifts of "Leaving Atlanta" lies in the incredibly done perspectives of the three children, Tasha, Ronnie, and Octavia, who narrate the novel's three..." Read more

"...I also understood the adults in the book, as many of my community activist, teachers, and parents formed new networks of getting children to and..." Read more

"...I like that this was written from kids point of view. Their thoughts and fears about it it events surrounding them." Read more

"...the perspective of three kids using first, second, and third person perspective was unique and perfect, the story so moving and heartbreaking...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's pacing excellent and engaging. They describe it as an exciting, fast-paced read that keeps them hooked until the end.

"...things (much younger audience), find the book as interesting and riveting as I did. I am looking at other works by this author." Read more

"This novel was so brilliant and so moving. It is one of those books that take my breath away after I’ve finished it...." Read more

"Incredibly strong moving story told by the children..rare and moving. I will definitely read over and over...." Read more

"...the three main characters compelling and enjoyed the tone and pace of the novel. Definitely reading more by this author." Read more

11 customers mention "Style"8 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the author's writing style. They find it insightful and vivid, painting a picture of Atlanta in the 1970s. The character development and descriptions make them feel like they are there.

"...It is a beautiful, insightful, heartbreaking, and incredibly well-written piece of work...." Read more

"...There are some subtleties that my professor pointed out that I would have never caught up on, which really made me realize how talented Jones is..." Read more

"...Her character development and vivid descriptions make you feel "right there " in the midst of the story." Read more

"The book was both intriguing and dull. There were parts of the book that brought back nostalgic memories of my own childhood...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023
    I use five stars very, very sparingly. Four stars is a "good" book for me. Five is a rarity. I did not waffle at all when assigning that number to "Leaving Atlanta," which is one of the best works of historical fiction I have ever read.

    I was not previously familiar with Tayari Jones' work. I recently stumbled on an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article recalling the Atlanta Child Murders, and came across "Leaving Atlanta" as a novel associated with this. I devoured the book in less than 48 hours, basically anytime I had an opportunity to read even a few sentences further.

    I have lived in Atlanta for more than 25 years as an adult, and as a child, grew up around 40 miles from the city in a small town where Atlanta was the mecca for things like Rich's and the Pink Pig at Christmas, and where Atlanta was the source of our TV news. While I was younger than the child characters depicted here, I recall hearing snippets about these horrific events when the news was on in the evenings -- likely shortly before my parents changed the channel if I was present, because they almost certainly would not have had an answer at the ready should a child as young as I was have questions about something like this.

    The Atlanta Child Murders are frequently recalled in media today. While they do not represent the only dark shadow in Atlanta's history, the fact that this series of events took place less than 50 years ago -- and that there are so many Atlantans here today who lived this and who lost children, family members, or friends -- gives them an immediacy not always associated with more distant historical events.

    One of the most extraordinary gifts of "Leaving Atlanta" lies in the incredibly done perspectives of the three children, Tasha, Ronnie, and Octavia, who narrate the novel's three sections. With the possible single exception of "To Kill A Mockingbird," I have hands-down never read another book that did a better job of a child's voice. Tasha, Ronnie, and Octavia are in the same 5th grade class at school, each hailing from a slightly different social strata within their community. They are classmates who know one another from school, each with varying degrees of understanding and acceptance. The children's narratives are also windows into the lives of their parents, whose outlooks and livelihoods also vary, but who share the common insecurities, fears, and feelings of impotence during a series of events which ultimately claimed the lives of more than 20 Black children, some of whom have never been found.

    Beyond the tragic events and associated emotions which form the crux of the novel, the depiction of being a kid in the late 1970s/early 1980s is brilliantly spot-on. I have read many other novels which attempted this with failed results that ultimately only came across as name-dropping of brand names thrown in to attempt to add authenticity. This novel hits the mark effortlessly.

    I fundamentally disagree with the reviewer who derided this book as being "YA" because it was "about fifth graders." While the book could certainly be enjoyed by interested members of the YA audience, to dismiss "Leaving Atlanta" as such is to reflect a deep misreading of the author's choice to use child narrators. And while the characters' thoughts are at times thoughts well beyond their years, at other times, Tasha, Ronnie and Octavia are consumed with thoughts of how to find a seat in the cafeteria and with whom; worries about being liked and accepted; insecurities about clothes or possessions; or musings about what it means in the school social community to be seen as eating breakfast at school or using the free or reduced lunch program. To dismiss these aspects of the narrative as simply "being about fifth graders" is to completely miss the author's brilliant choice to use these narrators: These characters are children, still in a place of innocence and on the brink of being otherwise, and around them, lives are being cut short at this very crossroads in life.

    And to return to the example of "To Kill A Mockingbird," would anyone dismiss that book and its themes because it was "about a 6-year-old?" Harper Lee knew what she was doing, too, and she did it well, as does Jones.

    I found the dialogue to be very authentically written. To this end, I also disagree with the reviewer who derided this choice of the author's as trying too hard to "write in ebonics." Perhaps that reviewer has not had a great deal of exposure to the dialect used here and as a result has difficulty comprehending it; that's not for me to say, but considering that same reviewer attacked the book as being racist, think perhaps there are other issues at work in that perspective. I am white, with no claims on the Black experience, and at no time detected racist themes in "Leaving Atlanta." Fear and mistrust based on decades of disenfranchisement, Jim Crow, and before that, slavery? Yes, those perspectives are there in the eyes of the characters' parents in particular. I find that to be merely accurate, not racist. Any precious little doodlebug who'd like to say otherwise needs to start reading, today.

    In closing, I cannot say enough good things about "Leaving Atlanta." It is a beautiful, insightful, heartbreaking, and incredibly well-written piece of work. I will recommend it to all readers I know and will happily, perhaps gluttonously, read everything else Jones has written. I was so happy to learn she is not a one-hit wonder.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2013
    I found this book to be extremely interesting. I am however struggling if it was more interesting to me because although I did not live in Atlanta (many states away), I remember being highly impacted by the situation during those years. I found myself relating with the terror described in this book, as I was certainly that young person who felt terrified during this time-frame. I also understood the adults in the book, as many of my community activist, teachers, and parents formed new networks of getting children to and from locations (especially school) safely.

    I enjoyed the different characters that the author introduced in the story....her description of how children play together, poverty at that time, peer pressure, and just her dynamic use of narration, made this book an awesome read. You will find many high and low points of the book, but they are all understandable even if you are not from an urban setting. The author was on point with her setting and describing the key things that were popular during that time. I hope that others who do not remember many of these things (much younger audience), find the book as interesting and riveting as I did. I am looking at other works by this author.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2023
    Excellent book. Well written. Jones is a great Author and this is the 3rd book I have read that she has written. I like that this was written from kids point of view. Their thoughts and fears about it it events surrounding them.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2013
    In Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones I did find some of the characters easy to relate to from that particular era because I was around the same age that this story was told. So that wasn't really the issue with me. What didn't work for me was that the book was told in segments that focused on one particular household; their family life; and how the murders affected them. So it was almost like you were reading a series of novella's that required you to start all over with getting the back story about the family and then seeing where it lead to. I think the book would have been better if it were written as a continuous novel where the reader would have learned about each of the families from the beginning to the end where the story could have unfolded better. About half of the dialog really wasn't beneficial to the story line at all for me. If you understood the make up of Black families back then the scenes that were described made sense but you really didn't get a sense of where the story was going with most of the families. The story about Rodney's family is told in second person and it really didn't flow well with the other segments to me. I also didn't feel like I received a full story because you never really learned how the aftermath of these disappearances and murders affect all of the characters in the book at the very end.

    I think some people may enjoy this book. But for me, I felt that the book didn't really get as deep as it could have because it was written in segments instead of a continuous story. Because the book focused mainly on the children that were affected by their classmates disappearances and murders and was written from their point of view, I'm wondering if this book would have been better served in the Young Adult section.

    I think Leaving Atlanta was just an okay read. I would give another one of Ms. Jones' books a try. I think that some readers may actually like the book and should read it if the synopsis appeals to them.

    TaNisha
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2018
    This novel was so brilliant and so moving. It is one of those books that take my breath away after I’ve finished it. I had to follow it up with something from another genre so as to not compare and be disappointed by a book I might normally love had it not had the bad luck to follow this amazing novel. Told from the perspective of three kids using first, second, and third person perspective was unique and perfect, the story so moving and heartbreaking. Even though it is March, I already know this will be a top 5 book for my 2018 reads.
    12 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great writing. Thoroughly engaging.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2020
    For many reasons this novel should be essential reading. It's subject matter is weighty and deserves the full attention of the public in general. It also offers wonderful insights into children's minds, for few adults can recall so much of their thoughts and feelings through years when embarrassment of one form or another loomed so large, let alone write about it with all the grace of a Jane Austen or an Anne Tyler. The sense of Atlanta through those harrowing years is a great contribution to social history. It is certainly no less valuable as a contribution to history than the documentation of the beginnings of social profiling in Mindhunter, the book that gives insights into the FBI's investigation of the Atlanta Child Murders. Ms Jones skillfully sidesteps taking sides in the controversy surrounding the investigation, while at the same time providing insights into the view, deeply held by many in the community of that time, that the murderer '... must be a white man'. Incredible to discover that this is a first novel. It shows all the promise of a major American novelist of the stature of Toni Morris on or Philip Roth. A great cause for celebration.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2019
    Really like Tayari's storytelling. This was such an insight in the life of the 9 year olds and into African American culture and language.
  • DR STEPHANIE WOOD
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2020
    Very interesting well written book

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