This book was not my jam and I can tell you it was a me problem and not a book/author problem. This was my 1st book by Asale Angel-Ajani but I will certainly give them another read!

What a beautiful, heartbreaking novel. It stuck with me for a long time after I finished it. Lara's story, her relationship with her mother, and the hardships she endures, are painful to read, but also left me wishing for more.

I felt that the perspective of the main character had an old soul but was still child like. I enjoyed the way the writing engulfed me and allowed me to relate to the main character while still learning the propose the story held

I tried to get into this one but I found the audio a little confusing and the story not pulling me in like I hoped. I think this is a book that some will love, but it just wasn't for me.

Very interesting and thought provoking. A story of a girl with a careless, selfish mother. I really disliked her mom and that is why I liked this book. The author told the story so well that I felt extreme dislike for the mother.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review A Country You Can Leave.

Narrated by Amanda Cordner
Published: 02/21/23

Another read where my time was well spent. The subject matter makes it inappropriate to say I enjoyed this, etc. This is the author's debut novel, and hats off for writing a story that I believed. With the parameters given in the synopsis, the story could have gone many different ways.

The author took me places in my soul that hurt. This is more than a biracial girl and her single mother. The victim blaming days need to be in the past. I think the author understands this. Blaming the mother, again an unproductive path.

There is a lot of pain, sorrow, and embarrassing moments in the story. Everything written is plausible. After reading, the question is now what? The author has written quite well a survival story, and no guide or guidelines are available. Thus surviving is all there will ever be.

There is a lot of profanity, and while I don't like it, I understand for the purposes of believability it was necessary. This potentially is one of less than ten books in my lifetime of reading where I would question the validity of the accounts -- given the same writing style if the cultural standards were not consistently met.

Author Asale Angel-Ajani has written a telling story, one that will stay with me. I look forward to your next novel.

Great choice on Amanda Cordner.

A Country You Can Leave by Asale Angel-Ajani sounded like a book I’d enjoy since I love a good coming of age story but this one fell flat for me. It’s about Black, biracial sixteen year old Lara and her Russian mother Yevgenia. They’re struggling to afford a place to live and end up moving to a new home in a mobile home community. It’s an interesting mother and daughter dynamic as they’re opposites and Lara is trying to navigate romantic relationships, friendships and dealing with her mother. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for this heavy read. It delves into topics like racism and trauma. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Amanda Cordner did a fine job. I would be interested to read more from this author depending on the subject matter.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this gifted audiobook - 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞, by Asale Angel-Ajani.⁣
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Give me a story with a vulnerable teen girl trying to discover her sense of self, and I AM HERE FOR IT! Lara is a 16-year-old biracial girl with a Black Cuban schizophrenic musician dad who is (mostly) out of the picture. Lara lives with her eccentric Russian mother, Yevgenia. After moving from place to place with her mom, 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 follows their story living at the Oasis Trailer Park in the California desert. Lara looks to her mom's example, and wants nothing more than her approval and love. But what I loved was how Lara also recognized her mom's damaging ways, so she could forge a path of her own. This was a story of a broken mother-daughter relationship, and about discovering chosen family.⁣
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I really enjoyed listening to this on audio, narrated by the fabulous Amanda Cordner.⁣
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𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 is available now.

A Country You Can Leave was Asale Angel-Ajani’s debut novel. It was a well written, coming of age novel with unforgettable characters. I listened to the audiobook that was very well narrated by Amanda Cordner. It was about a mother/daughter relationship but so much more. It was told from the POV of the sixteen year old, biracial daughter, Lara. Having had grown up in a constant state of uncertainty, the turmoil of too many moves, the persistent fear of becoming homeless and the longing for a normal and stable life were the realities of Lara’s life for as long as she could remember. Her mother, Yevgenia, a Russian born woman, was not the warm and caring mother Lara envisioned for herself. Yevgenia, or Evie as she sometimes called herself, liked alcohol a little too much and was an avid reader of Russian literature. Lara’s mother dressed in provocative short and tight clothing and felt obliged to prepare Lara for the eventuality of sex, even though Lara was not the least bit ready. Yevgenia worked as a bartender and was often kinder to and more concerned with her customers than she was with her own daughter. Lara longed for what she would describe as a normal lifestyle. She wanted to go to school, make friends and have the kind of mother that possessed the tools for knowing how to be a good parent. As Lara and Yevgenia took refuge in yet another place to live, The Oasis Mobile Estates, would Lara be able to find the things she so desperately wanted there? At least, two of Lara’s wishes were granted. Lara was allowed to attend school and she had made two friends there. Unfortunately, the rest of Lara’s desires would not come easily. Lara would have to face terror, humiliation, embarrassment and fear for Yevgenia to finally step up and be the mother Lara had always dreamed of. Would mother and child be able to reconcile their relationship in a new way or would the fall back on their old ways?

A Country You Can Leave by Asale Angel-Ajani was a riveting and yet heartbreaking story. It covered issues like race, sexuality, the distinction between classes, role reversals between a mother and daughter, unwanted experiences, exposure to things children should be shielded from, choices, immigrants, exposure to drugs and alcohol and relationships that were both complex and complicated. I enjoyed listening to A Country You Can Leave and look forward to more books by Asale Angel-Ajani. I recommend this book very highly.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to A Country You Can Leave by Asale Angel-Ajani through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a story! The writing was impeccable and the story had me so engrossed. This story, at times, was not an easy read. But, I found myself lured in. Lara, this young Black girl who was a kid, was forced by her mother to behave as an adult while navigating being a young. Black teenager. How Yevgenia, her mother, spun her ideologies onto her daughter, was shocking at times. Yevgenia was from Russian and had little faith in the U.S. education system and so the first 9 years of Lara's life dropped her off at the library instead of sending her to school. Lara's mom kept a journal which contained her rules about men and she relayed these to her 16yo daughter often. Even though I am done reading this story, I still think of it. It was so well done! I will post a review soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC!

A Country You Can Leave was bugging me. For quite a lot of the book. There was one simple problem: I really disliked one of the main characters. Like a visceral dislike for everything about her. And then at some point it dawned on me that maybe that was the point, that maybe I was supposed to dislike her. And that did redeem it for me a little bit. Don't check this one out for the sunshine and rainbows, but if overcast skies with flashes of dark prisms are what you're looking for, then this one may be for you.

This was a terrific read. Funny, tragic, and full of energy. It’s the coming of age story of first generation teenager of Russian and Cuban descent and her sometimes toxic relationship with her mother. The story takes place in a trailer park in Las Vegas.

A COUNTRY YOU CAN LEAVE review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

🪨I went into this book completely blind, and only requested it on NetGalley because of the cover. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! It was such a powerful story about mother-daughter relationships, immigration, and breaking the cycle.

🪨Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Lara and her mother Yevgenia are always on the move, never living any where for longer than a year. When they settle into their latest home in a trailer park in the California desert, they attempt to settle in, even though they know they won’t live there permanently. As a Russian immigrant, Yevgenia has always had strong opinions on the American way of life and insists her daughter doesn’t become like “the wrong kind American.” As a biracial teenager, Lara has her own struggles growing up in America and has always had a tense relationship with her mother. When a brutal attack occurs, Lara and Yevgenia’s relationship is put to the ultimate test.

🪨From the very beginning, I was highly invested in this story. While the main character (Lara) is a teenager, this isn’t a YA book. The struggles and challenges Lara and her mother face really pulled at my heartstrings. I haven’t heard anyone else talking about this book but I hope that changes! I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it!

🪨Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copy of this one!

Please see link below for my full review of A Country You can Leave.

I thought the audio narration was fantastic and I alternated between print and audio while reading.

I would give this book 4 stars.

I would use it as a book club text or a choice reading text in my senior English classes in the future. I think the book highlights the particular challenges faced by teens in marginalized communities. It also illustrates the hardships coming of age in an environment of poverty and parental neglect.

Coming of age stories are usually a hit or miss for me but I absolutely loved this one. This one portrayed the relationship of a Black, biracial teen and her hard to parse Russian mother, who end up living in a trailer home. I thought the dynamics in this one were very interesting and the narration was smooth and really well done.

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one!

The description made it seem like this book was going to explore mother daughter relationships. Some parts made it seem like it was going to explore being biracial in America. It ended up just being about Lara wondering around acting like a spoiled brat and Yevgenia being a shitty person to everyone. I don't feel like they ever really worked through or explored their relationship at all and the ending was abrupt and disappointing.

Amanda Cordner does an ok job of narrating. The mom's accent comes and goes but it isn't too distracting.

Asale Angel-Ajani's remarkable debut, A COUNTRY YOU CAN LEAVE —centers around a mother and daughter duo trapped by circumstances. Lyrical, raw, emotional, and often heartfelt, yet witty.

I LOVED the opening of each chapter with life rules to follow (from the spiral-bound notebooks) by the mom for her daughter! Lessons about sex, men, politics, and reading habits—her meager inheritance)—Hilarious! a highlight of this well-written novel. I bookmarked many pages and was fortunate to have the e-book to accompany the audiobook!

Lara is a sixteen-year-old biracial teen girl with an eccentric fiery Russian mom, Yevgenia. From one job and town to another (always on the move), from one dead-end position to another, just trying to survive.

Accustomed to being homeless and her mom taking off, they are now at the rundown Oasis Mobile Home Park in the California desert.

"A desert is a place that lulls a person into believing that nothing is required of them until it's nearly too late, and suddenly, you need all of your faculties to survive."

It is difficult for Lara to have friends since they move around a lot. She does not fit in. The mother-daughter duo has a love/hate relationship. Lara feels her mom does not love her and is embarrassed because she is black. Lara wants to know more about her dad (a Black schizophrenic gifted Cuban musician).

Her mom, a bartender, is loose, loud-mouthed, opinionated, an alcoholic, well-read, wild, unconventional, and enjoys sex. She pays more attention to customers and Lara's friends than she does to her daughter.

She reads a lot, and some might even be impressed with her knowledge. She constantly quotes Russian literature and is not interested in providing a stable, secure home in a traditional sense.

The mom does not like Americans or men (edicts laid out in the notebook quotes). She believes in tough love and has no compassion for others. She is loud and vocal with a foul trashy mouth. One of Lara's friends even called her very "cosmopolitan."

Told from Lara's POV, she loves to read. She is affected by her mother as all she knows. I loved her friend, Charles, the budding poet, and their experience with the literary scene.

The mother-daughter relationship is complex. There are heated arguments, frustrations, misunderstandings, and resentments.

Even though Lara appreciates her mom's independent spirit, she is not the sharing type. In Lara's quest to find her dad, a brutal attack brings some of her mom's past trauma to the surface. Lara finds her life full of confusion and contradictions. Lara wants her mom's acceptance.

Lara has relied on her mom, but now she has an impulse to pull away to discover her self-identity.

Topics: Immigrants, culture, race, class, mental health, poverty, acceptance, mother-daughter relationships. I loved the ending!

A COUNTRY YOU CAN LEAVE packs an emotional punch. Told with passion and humor. Sharp-witted with a colorful cast of fun characters, a compelling yet eye-opening realistic view of the obstacles faced by multiracials. A world of desperation and beauty.

I enjoyed the love of books, literary aspects, and reading portrayed throughout the book. The memories of books and stories have the power to shape our lives.

The author's writing is poetic, lyrical, and stunning. The author has been added to my favorite author list, and I cannot wait to see what comes next. This is different from your ordinary coming of age. It is explosive! I would love to see another book like this written from the mom's perspective.

AUDIOBOOK: thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Amanda Cordner for an outstanding performance and listening experience. Highly entertaining.

For fans of books, I have read most recently: Margot, Maame, and The Applicant. I listened to the audiobook of all four of these and highly recommend them.

Thank you to #MacmillanAudio, #FarrarStrausandGiroux #MCD, and #Netgalley for a gifted ALC and ARC. #covercrush

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 21, 2023
Feb 2023 Must-Read Books

Check out the fascinating Interview with Asale Angel-Ajani with Literary Hub.

Angel-Ajani's novel vividly captures the push and pull between a mother and daughter. It is a coming-of-age for Lara as she tries to untangle her here and now from her mother's in-the-moment living. She yearns for a life of stability and transparency, she wants a past and history, whatever normal is.

The prose is sharp and unapologetically raw in its examination of a deeply different and dysfunctional relationship, where one-up-manship becomes a play for power and satire and snark are used to elicit emotional responses.

The reader becomes concerned for Lara who has been sorely failed by her mother, a woman who should have been guiding and teaching Lara alongside all the literature she pushed at her. Poorly socialized and yearning for commitment and compassion, Lara is left to ultimately make her own way towards a future determined by her.

Mother-daughter relationships are already exceptionally complex without being weighed down by resentment and blame.

A truly unique tale, A COUNTRY YOU CAN LEAVE follows a mixed race girl in a gritty coming to age story that can be described as part trailer park noire and part traumacore. Asale Angel-Ajani is not afraid to go there, and is not afraid to show us what it means to have a relationship with a mother that is complicated, parentified, and messy as hell.

Lara, 16, and her mother, Yevgenia, find themselves living in a trailer park in rural America. Yevgenia is a promiscuous Russian immigrant who is an alcoholic, unpredictable and uneasy. Lara is bi-racial and trying to settle into their life, all the while growing up too fast. This story showed the complexities of a mother – daughter relationship. A story that was hard to read as it brought on a roller coaster of emotions. This was a character driven story that I did enjoy. A coming-of-age novel that leaves you thinking. It was heart-breaking to see what Lara and her community goes through. This was a very well-written debut novel that shows the intricacy of growing up, finding your identity, and breaking free (leaving your country).