My Name Is Leon

A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And a family where you'd least expect to find one * Publisher's description * Tender and heart-breaking -- Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' A beautiful story told with compassion, urgency and wit -- Stephen Kelman, author of the Booker-shortlisted 'Pigeon English' Vivid and endearing - a very powerful book -- Emma Healey, bestselling author of 'Elizabeth is Missing' Leon is pure goodwill in a wicked world, and he won't leave you when you put this unique book down. Authentic and beautiful, urgent and honest, this novel does what only the best do: it quietly makes room in your heart. At the end of the story I couldn't bear to close the book on Leon. I felt I was abandoning him. I wanted to talk about it straight away with someone else who'd read it, and I know a great many readers will feel the same. -- Chris Cleave, bestselling author of 'The Other Hand' Beautiful and heartbreaking - I cried buckets of tears for Leon and his family -- Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of 'The Last Act of Love' A compelling story... Kit de Waal is to be congratulated -- Jane Shemilt, bestselling author of 'Daughter' Hotly anticipated and heartbreaking... a great read...it's no mean feat for a debut to so perfectly capture the world through the eyes of a child...his illuminating child's eye view of adult affairs harks back to the likes of Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Sawyer and more recently Mark Haddon's Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime -- Mariella Frostrup, BBC Radio 4 The unforgettable story of a boy struggling to belong, and the author captures both his mindset and the period impeccably. Heartbreaking and uplifting - just read it * Daily Mail * My debut of the year so far...heartbreaking and warm at the same time * Stylist * A funny, sad and endearing debut * Psychologies * Searing * The Times * Everything in My Name Is Leon rings true. It's an everyday story and this actually makes it more powerful: these are the lows and joys of real life. Someone will be living them as you read * Emerald Street * A touching, thought-provoking debut * Guardian * Powerful and gorgeously written...may make you cry, but it's also uplifting and full of hope * Good Housekeeping * Heart-breaking yet told with wit and compassion - I loved it * Woman and Home * Full of small exquisite details, de Waal's novel is ultimately affirmative. But be warned - it's a bit of a weepie * Metro * Deeply moving, compulsively readable and, despite the heart-rending subject matter, often funny * Irish Times * The voice of Leon is distinctive, beguiling and ultimately compelling, resonant of the young narrators in Room or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time * RTE Guide * Searing * T2 * Beguiling, tender, funny, compassionate ... entirely heartbreaking without being bleak * Sunday Express * Conjures the plight of children in care - and the Britain of the 1980s - with heartbreaking intensity * Harpers Bazaar * It's a wonderful book. I really enjoyed it. It is extremely affecting -- Toby Lichtig I think My Name is Leon is a really stand out novel -- Alex Clark Simply told and never over-written * Emerald Street Top 10 Books of the Year * A piercing story: fierce, touching and with the absolute ring of truth-to-experience -- Sam Leith Many are describing it as the debut of the year, in an already crowded market * Evening Standard *