Orphaned Sam has to leave behind his affluent life in the city: his computer, his trendy clothing, and his pride, to live with his aunt in his mother's home village, a village at the back of beyond. He has to sleep on the floor in a one-roomed hut, sharing with his aunt, his cousins and other orphans. He misses his mother terribly, but she seems so very far away. How can he adjust? Where does he belong? In the book a penetrating picture of modern Malawi is built up from the perspective of a child, in all its colour and faith and optimism. "Leaving Home" is a story to challenge anyone's perception of a homogeneous Africa, and the publication is timely when the issues involved - AIDS, orphans and displaced children - are important to many young people. The writing is subtle and evocative and the characters make a strong and lasting impact.
