Now a Netflix film starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon. Written for the Screen and Directed by Sam Esmail. Executive Producers Barack and Michelle Obama, Tonia Davis, Daniel M. Stillman, Nick Krishnamurthy, Rumaan Alam A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award in Fiction One of Barack Obama's Summer Reads A Best Book of the Year From: The Washington Post * Time * NPR * Elle * Esquire * Kirkus * Library Journal * The Chicago Public Library * The New York Public Library * BookPage * The Globe and Mail * EW.com * The LA Times * USA Today * InStyle * The New Yorker * AARP * Publisher's Lunch * LitHub * Book Marks * Electric Literature * Brooklyn Based * The Boston Globe A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong. From the bestselling author of Rich and Pretty comes a suspenseful and provocative novel keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis. Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe. Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?
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About the author
Rumaan Alam
Author
Rumaan Alam is an American writer.
Leave the World Behind
by Rumaan Alam
Books Like Leave the World Behind
If you're looking for books similar to Leave the World Behind, here are some recommendations based on themes, tone, and narrative style.
The Road
Cormac McCarthy
A post-apocalyptic novel exploring survival and human connection in a devastated world. A father and son journey through a bleak landscape, facing extreme challenges and maintaining their humanity. The book shares themes of crisis, isolation, and human resilience with 'Leave the World Behind'. It examines how people respond to catastrophic events and the breakdown of societal structures.
Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
A novel about survival and art after a global pandemic decimates civilization. The story follows interconnected characters before and after the collapse of society, exploring human connections and resilience. Like 'Leave the World Behind', it examines how people cope with unexpected, large-scale disasters. The narrative weaves together personal stories against a backdrop of societal breakdown.
The Possibility of Evil
Shirley Jackson
A short story exploring hidden tensions in a seemingly peaceful community. While not a full novel, it shares themes of underlying social tensions and unexpected disruptions. The narrative reveals the darkness beneath a calm surface, similar to the approach in 'Leave the World Behind'. It examines the fragility of social structures and human relationships.
American War
Omar El Akkad
A dystopian novel set in a future America torn apart by a second civil war. The story follows a young woman's journey through a fractured society, exploring themes of conflict and survival. Like the main book, it examines societal breakdown and human responses to extreme circumstances. The narrative provides a nuanced look at how people adapt to catastrophic change.
Bird Box
Josh Malerman
A post-apocalyptic thriller about surviving an unseen threat that drives people to violence. The story follows a mother protecting her children in a world where seeing something causes fatal madness. Like the main book, it explores survival, family dynamics, and an unexplained catastrophic event. The narrative builds tension through isolation and unknown dangers.
Zone One
Colson Whitehead
A literary zombie apocalypse novel exploring societal collapse and human survival. The story follows a survivor working to reclaim New York City after a pandemic. Like the main book, it examines human responses to large-scale catastrophe. The narrative provides a nuanced, literary approach to apocalyptic fiction.
The Cabin at the End of the World
Paul Tremblay
A psychological thriller about a family vacationing in an isolated location who are suddenly confronted by strangers with a terrifying proposition. The novel explores themes of family, survival, and moral choices under extreme pressure. Similar to 'Leave the World Behind', it creates tension through an unexpected invasion of a seemingly safe space. The story challenges characters' perceptions of safety and trust.
The Dreamers
Karen Thompson Walker
A novel about a mysterious sleeping sickness that spreads through a small California town. The story explores how a community responds to an unexplained phenomenon, examining human connections and survival. Similar to 'Leave the World Behind', it creates tension through an inexplicable event. The narrative focuses on individual and collective responses to an unknown threat.
The Age of Miracles
Karen Thompson Walker
A novel about the earth's rotation slowing down, causing global environmental and social changes. The story is told from a young girl's perspective, exploring how humanity adapts to a gradual apocalypse. Similar to 'Leave the World Behind', it examines human resilience and societal response to unexpected challenges. The narrative focuses on personal experiences during a global crisis.
The Silence
Tim Lebbon
A survival story about a family trying to survive in a world overrun by blind, sound-sensitive predators. The novel explores family dynamics and survival in an apocalyptic scenario. Similar to 'Leave the World Behind', it examines how people react to sudden, inexplicable threats. The story focuses on human resilience and adaptation in extreme circumstances.
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