Leaving (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781971314181)

Leanne has built a fragile life around three children who aren't biologically hers, holding together a home shaped by grief, Kurt's drinking, and escalating violence, even as she secretly plans how to escape. When Kurt's gambling, abuse and WorkSafe troubles spiral towards disaster, Leanne starts quietly preparing a way out- backpack, documents, routes, helpline numbers-torn between leaving to save herself and staying to protect the kids who have already lost one mother. Just as Kurt seems to be changing through AA and small, hopeful shifts at home, a sudden drunk-driving crash kills him, and Leanne is hurled into a new fight: with grief, with the child protection system, and with the law that doesn't recognise her as "mum", even while the children cling to her as the only parent they have left.

"Leaving" is a heart-wrenching story of love, survival and found family, asking how far someone will go to keep children safe when walking away might be the only way to save them all.