Books with title Leaving Yesler

Fiction. Filipino American Studies. Latino/Latina Studies. African American Studies. Young Adult Fiction. Leaving Yesler features a sensitive, mixed race (Puerto Rican and black) protagonist (Bobby). Bobby’s life is difficult – in short order, he lost his mom to cancer and his older protective brother to Vietnam. His Filipino stepfather is old and not long for the world. The plot, which takes place in the politically tumultuous year of 1968, follows him from his last days in the Yesler Terrace housing project in Seattle to just short of his first day in college. Not only must he survive the dangers within the projects, he must also come to terms with questions about his ethnic identity and his sexuality. The novel is set within the literary realm of magical realism. The ghosts of Bobby’s mother and older brother continuously reappear to comfort and advise him. It could be classified as Young Adult, although it is clearly not limited to such an audience. Essentially, this is a coming-of-age novel set in an urban environment, and it deals with serious issues in a young man’s growth and development.

Leaving Yesler is the story of Bobby—a sensitive, biracial teenager searching for his identity and a place of belonging after losing his mother to cancer and older brother in Vietnam. The year is 1968, a politically tumultuous time, particularly for a Puerto Rican and black teenager, who isn’t sure where he fits in the world. We follow Bobby during his last days in the Yesler Terrace housing project in Seattle and on his journey toward a new life as a college student, as he struggles to survive the dangers within the projects and understand the expectations of the outside world. Bobby begins to rely on his mother and brother, hearing their voices and feeling their presence, as he questions and eventually comes to terms with his ethnic identity and sexuality.Ultimately, Leaving Yesler is a poignant coming-of-age story in a part of the Pacific Northwest most readers have never experienced during a time in history few of us understand.