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Leaving Atlanta
An award-winning author makes her fiction debut with this coming-of-age story of three young black children set against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979.
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First published January 1, 2002
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About the author
Tayari Jones
22 books29.7k followersTayari Jones is the author of the novels Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, Silver Sparrow, and An American Marriage (Algonquin Books, February 2018). Her writing has appeared in Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo. A member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, she has also been a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Silver Sparrow was named a #1 Indie Next Pick by booksellers in 2011, and the NEA added it to its Big Read Library of classics in 2016. Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. She is currently an Associate Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 752 reviews
April 1, 2011
For me, this is the first story that I can ever remember reading that shared my voice as a child growing up in a major Southern city. It took place at a time when, first of all, it's tough growing up and being eleven years old and then to deal with a real-live nationally-known bogeyman lurking around the city (the Atlanta Child Murders case). My own memories of that time are vivid; when they found another child, we were in fear several hundred miles away. Leaving Atlanta gave life to the black children of the 1970s that was far beyond the televised segments of What's Happening and Good Times. The vernacular, the lifestyle joys of playing in a neighborhood - outside (gasp... these days), skating rinks - all rang so familiar to me that I simply loved it as I was placed back in that time. Tayari shares it so beautifully anyone would be sent back. This story is not about race, it's about children, period. Trying to figure out their place in this world, trying to make sure they don't do anything to jeopardize their parent's love (they wouldn't but, of course they don't know otherwise), trying to be liked by their peers and just trying to like themselves. A Judy Blume book is a fixture in the hands of many youngsters today just as they were then, Tayari shared that point and I loved that, too. Authentic element. She also added one interesting classmate that won my heart - a fine technique. I'm not one to provide spoilers; I highly recommend this story of a such a vastly different time, free from the influx of technology, giving kids the chance to be kids.
October 14, 2025
Book #2 Read for Women’s History Month, 2024
A truly, heartbreaking coming of age novel, narrated through the eyes of three black children during the infamous Atlanta Child Murders of the late 1970s, early 1980s.
As a serial killer or killers are murdering (up to 29 bodies have been identified during this gruesome period), these kids have to also navigate through their growing pains.
First, we meet LaTasha, whose parents are separating. She owns a pretty pink coat given to her by her beloved father Charles. When she goes to the roller rink, flirts with Jashante, a cute boy. Their friendship is soured when she wishes something bad would happen to him after her coat accidentally rips. He's later abducted and found murdered.
Next, there's Rodney. Living in a precarious situation with an abusive father, he befriends Mrs. Lewis, a gas station attendant and steals candy. He is a loner, and it seems Octavia is his only friend. He doesn’t like her because of how dark her skin is. On a fateful night, he has his date with death as he meets a man pretending to be a police officer who offers him a ride home.
Wary from coming home to his dad, he reluctantly agrees to go with the stranger. Like Jashante, he is abducted and murdered- becoming another statistic and tragic casualty of the Atlanta Child Serial Killer.
Lastly, there's plucky Octavia. She navigates living with her mother who's afraid she'll fall victim to the serial killer. She is also grieving and doesn't know how to process Rodney's death. After some serious discussions with her professor father, Octavia leaves Atlanta for South Carolina.
These three interlocking stories all capture the pangs of growing up in Atlanta during this frightening time. Not only do black children have to learn how to be quicker about their wits and be pluckier than their white peers- their voices for justice aren't heard as much, especially that two black boys go missing, are found murdered- and not much happens, no one cares.
Professor Jones captures the love that these families have for each other. She breathes so much life into the lives of these characters that are all flawed and likeable. It's no wonder that the harrowing and the hopeful would later be in her later book I've read, and love- "An American Marriage".
I highly recommend reading Toni Cade Bambara’s magnum opus “Those Bones are not my Child’s”. Edited by the magnificent Toni Morrison- it’s just as shattering and broken as Ms. Jones’ novel.
A truly, heartbreaking coming of age novel, narrated through the eyes of three black children during the infamous Atlanta Child Murders of the late 1970s, early 1980s.
As a serial killer or killers are murdering (up to 29 bodies have been identified during this gruesome period), these kids have to also navigate through their growing pains.
First, we meet LaTasha, whose parents are separating. She owns a pretty pink coat given to her by her beloved father Charles. When she goes to the roller rink, flirts with Jashante, a cute boy. Their friendship is soured when she wishes something bad would happen to him after her coat accidentally rips. He's later abducted and found murdered.
Next, there's Rodney. Living in a precarious situation with an abusive father, he befriends Mrs. Lewis, a gas station attendant and steals candy. He is a loner, and it seems Octavia is his only friend. He doesn’t like her because of how dark her skin is. On a fateful night, he has his date with death as he meets a man pretending to be a police officer who offers him a ride home.
Wary from coming home to his dad, he reluctantly agrees to go with the stranger. Like Jashante, he is abducted and murdered- becoming another statistic and tragic casualty of the Atlanta Child Serial Killer.
Lastly, there's plucky Octavia. She navigates living with her mother who's afraid she'll fall victim to the serial killer. She is also grieving and doesn't know how to process Rodney's death. After some serious discussions with her professor father, Octavia leaves Atlanta for South Carolina.
These three interlocking stories all capture the pangs of growing up in Atlanta during this frightening time. Not only do black children have to learn how to be quicker about their wits and be pluckier than their white peers- their voices for justice aren't heard as much, especially that two black boys go missing, are found murdered- and not much happens, no one cares.
Professor Jones captures the love that these families have for each other. She breathes so much life into the lives of these characters that are all flawed and likeable. It's no wonder that the harrowing and the hopeful would later be in her later book I've read, and love- "An American Marriage".
I highly recommend reading Toni Cade Bambara’s magnum opus “Those Bones are not my Child’s”. Edited by the magnificent Toni Morrison- it’s just as shattering and broken as Ms. Jones’ novel.
June 27, 2012
In this, her first novel, Tayari Jones illustrates the fears and joys of children on the cusp of adolescence within the backdrop of one of the most frightening national tragedies that most people have not even heard of: the Atlanta Child Murders. Narrating the stories of three 5th graders, (Tasha, Rodney, and Octavia) using third, second, then first person point of view, the story flows like a classic jumprope game, with two of the three children taking a background role while the third stands in the middle, jumping to the rhythm of the rope, telling his or her own tale. One jumps out, grabs the end of the rope, and cranks the rope while the next one can have his or her own say.
Jones slowly pulls readers in closer to the characters and the setting, helping us to see how panic and anger grow with each missing child and each recovered body. But more than a fictionalization of this event, the novel is about children trying to find their place within their families and the world at a time when they are able to control very little, not even their own bodies. Like her "idol", Judy Blume, Jones is able to capture the cadence of children's speech and thoughts, taking her readers back to a time when they too would give anything to have one good friend to be able to be "more of yourself" around. In fact, it's what we continue to seek to this day.
Jones slowly pulls readers in closer to the characters and the setting, helping us to see how panic and anger grow with each missing child and each recovered body. But more than a fictionalization of this event, the novel is about children trying to find their place within their families and the world at a time when they are able to control very little, not even their own bodies. Like her "idol", Judy Blume, Jones is able to capture the cadence of children's speech and thoughts, taking her readers back to a time when they too would give anything to have one good friend to be able to be "more of yourself" around. In fact, it's what we continue to seek to this day.
June 15, 2011
It’s funny the things one thinks about in the early morning. After a 2 am feeding, I lay in bed trying to find my way back into dreamland (it’s usually difficult, as once I’m up, I’m up). And I was thinking about the last book I finished, Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones, and how it’s taken me quite a while to sit down and write about it. Because it deserves to be written about. I eventually drifted off to sleep (only to be woken by the wee reader’s grunts around 630 as he stirred but didn’t quite wake until an hour later), but felt that today ought to be the day that I write about this book. And so, here it is.
The stories of three fifth-graders who attend Oglethorpe Elementary are tied to the nightmare of 1979 in Atlanta, when African-American children began vanishing and turning up dead. Tasha is desperately trying to fit in with her classmates (one day she’s buds, the next day, she’s not invited to their sleepover… kids!). Rodney just doesn’t seem to be able to fit in anywhere – at home or at school, but he begins to be friendly with Octavia, the final narrator. The kids tease Octavia for being poor and for the colour of her skin (they call her “Watusi”) but she’s a tough kid and like Rodney, a loner.
Jones has crafted some wonderful characters. The stories of these three children – though schoolmates, they are from different walks of life – weave together issues of class, race, and of trying to fit in at school, as the cloud of fear hangs over the neighbourhood. It is not so much about a plot as it is a delving into their lives, their perceptions of the disappearances, their relationships with their parents and siblings and their classmates. Their fears and troubles are all too real, and I’m not just talking about the possibility of being abducted and murdered. But of those awkward years trying to fit in at school, which Jones so convincingly portrays, and which everyone can easily relate to. I didn’t expect this book to move me the way it did, I didn’t expect that three stories from the perspectives of three children could tell me so much about the way life works. Don’t you just love it when a book overthrows all your expectations?
The stories of three fifth-graders who attend Oglethorpe Elementary are tied to the nightmare of 1979 in Atlanta, when African-American children began vanishing and turning up dead. Tasha is desperately trying to fit in with her classmates (one day she’s buds, the next day, she’s not invited to their sleepover… kids!). Rodney just doesn’t seem to be able to fit in anywhere – at home or at school, but he begins to be friendly with Octavia, the final narrator. The kids tease Octavia for being poor and for the colour of her skin (they call her “Watusi”) but she’s a tough kid and like Rodney, a loner.
Jones has crafted some wonderful characters. The stories of these three children – though schoolmates, they are from different walks of life – weave together issues of class, race, and of trying to fit in at school, as the cloud of fear hangs over the neighbourhood. It is not so much about a plot as it is a delving into their lives, their perceptions of the disappearances, their relationships with their parents and siblings and their classmates. Their fears and troubles are all too real, and I’m not just talking about the possibility of being abducted and murdered. But of those awkward years trying to fit in at school, which Jones so convincingly portrays, and which everyone can easily relate to. I didn’t expect this book to move me the way it did, I didn’t expect that three stories from the perspectives of three children could tell me so much about the way life works. Don’t you just love it when a book overthrows all your expectations?
April 18, 2022
With the Atlanta murders of 1979–1981 as it’s backdrop, Tayari Jones’s debut novel tells the story of three Black children: LaTasha, Rodney and Octavia. The book is broken into three sections, one for each of the children, and written in 3rd, 2nd, and then 1st person perspective respectively.
Jones shows a lot of promise as a writer from this debut (I’ve only ever read her latest novel, An American Marriage before this one and I LOVED it). And while I wasn’t as emotionally invested or gripped by this story, her ability to put the reader inside the experiences of these children is impressive. That’s definitely the strength of this novel: Jones relates their experiences, and clearly her own experience in some way as a side character named Tayari Jones turns up in each of the three stories, so expertly.
I didn’t find the plot to be as engaging as I expected considering the blurb mentions the true crime it’s based off of. However, once I got beyond this not being a thriller in the traditional sense, I was able to appreciate the characterization Jones put into each story. I think it’s a story worth reading and one that had me researching more about these murders I had never heard of before, which is valuable in and of itself.
Jones shows a lot of promise as a writer from this debut (I’ve only ever read her latest novel, An American Marriage before this one and I LOVED it). And while I wasn’t as emotionally invested or gripped by this story, her ability to put the reader inside the experiences of these children is impressive. That’s definitely the strength of this novel: Jones relates their experiences, and clearly her own experience in some way as a side character named Tayari Jones turns up in each of the three stories, so expertly.
I didn’t find the plot to be as engaging as I expected considering the blurb mentions the true crime it’s based off of. However, once I got beyond this not being a thriller in the traditional sense, I was able to appreciate the characterization Jones put into each story. I think it’s a story worth reading and one that had me researching more about these murders I had never heard of before, which is valuable in and of itself.
April 30, 2018
This is a book that will stay with me for a while. It's shattering, both due to the heavy subject matter and the perspective, so there's no way to respond objectively to the story. I chose this book both for its familiarity (I lived in Atlanta for four years) and for the challenge (my white suburban upbringing differed drastically from the childhoods of the main characters).
Tayari Jones has crafted a story that is both easily accessible and starkly honest, which she does brilliantly by inhabiting the mind of a child (three, actually). The children in her story experience the joy of new clothes, the comfort of maternal embraces, the thrill of rule-breaking, peer pressure, the devastation of bullying, and the shame of being different. These are experiences that all people can relate to, even those whose socioeconomic context was very different from children in 1980 Southside Atlanta. Even more inviting is the way that Jones writes the sensory experience of childhood: the smells, textures, temperatures, sights, sounds, and other physical sensations of everyday life are described in vivid detail, drawing the reader into the setting until it feels surprisingly familiar.
Woven into this world, however, are the truths that are likely less familiar and less comfortable for white readers like myself: the pervasive (and justified) distrust of white people, especially authority figures. The depressed economic circumstances that cause characters to sort themselves into social strata based on tiny differences: on which side of the same street they live, how clean their clothes are, who can be trusted at the corner store or skating rink. The explosive trend of absent fathers. Interestingly, each of the children in this story has a father who is involved in their lives in some way (to varying degrees), but consequences of this trend affect them deeply, adding strain and complexity to their parental relationships that those outside their community could not possibly understand. Lest the reader imagine these circumstances are exaggerated, Jones wisely has her adult characters provide historical context by telling tales of their own childhoods, so it becomes clear how the prejudices of decades past continue to have repercussions on successive generations.
The whole story is set against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979-81, which I'd actually never heard of before. I googled them early in my read of the book, and was shocked to learn the true story (what is known or suspected, anyway). It seems obvious that the case gets less attention than even those with a lower body count because of the racial element - the Wikipedia entry I read didn't even mention that the victims were predominantly (or all?) black. It was frankly horrifying, and imagining what the black families of Atlanta must have felt at the time is devastating and humbling. In fact, being a parent myself is what really intensified the impact of this book for me. I could relate to the fear the parents had for their children, but with the additional social pressures they faced, it seems that it must have been impossible to focus on raising their kids. It's heartrending when the children in the book suffer the flaws of their parents, because the humanity of both child and parent seems to condemn and redeem them all at once.
This is a gorgeous book and I absolutely recommend it.
Tayari Jones has crafted a story that is both easily accessible and starkly honest, which she does brilliantly by inhabiting the mind of a child (three, actually). The children in her story experience the joy of new clothes, the comfort of maternal embraces, the thrill of rule-breaking, peer pressure, the devastation of bullying, and the shame of being different. These are experiences that all people can relate to, even those whose socioeconomic context was very different from children in 1980 Southside Atlanta. Even more inviting is the way that Jones writes the sensory experience of childhood: the smells, textures, temperatures, sights, sounds, and other physical sensations of everyday life are described in vivid detail, drawing the reader into the setting until it feels surprisingly familiar.
Woven into this world, however, are the truths that are likely less familiar and less comfortable for white readers like myself: the pervasive (and justified) distrust of white people, especially authority figures. The depressed economic circumstances that cause characters to sort themselves into social strata based on tiny differences: on which side of the same street they live, how clean their clothes are, who can be trusted at the corner store or skating rink. The explosive trend of absent fathers. Interestingly, each of the children in this story has a father who is involved in their lives in some way (to varying degrees), but consequences of this trend affect them deeply, adding strain and complexity to their parental relationships that those outside their community could not possibly understand. Lest the reader imagine these circumstances are exaggerated, Jones wisely has her adult characters provide historical context by telling tales of their own childhoods, so it becomes clear how the prejudices of decades past continue to have repercussions on successive generations.
The whole story is set against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979-81, which I'd actually never heard of before. I googled them early in my read of the book, and was shocked to learn the true story (what is known or suspected, anyway). It seems obvious that the case gets less attention than even those with a lower body count because of the racial element - the Wikipedia entry I read didn't even mention that the victims were predominantly (or all?) black. It was frankly horrifying, and imagining what the black families of Atlanta must have felt at the time is devastating and humbling. In fact, being a parent myself is what really intensified the impact of this book for me. I could relate to the fear the parents had for their children, but with the additional social pressures they faced, it seems that it must have been impossible to focus on raising their kids. It's heartrending when the children in the book suffer the flaws of their parents, because the humanity of both child and parent seems to condemn and redeem them all at once.
This is a gorgeous book and I absolutely recommend it.
February 16, 2023
Author Tayari Jones was a young girl during "The Atlanta Child Murders of 1979-1981." Her experiences at an Atlanta elementary school inspired this fictional book about the lives of three black fifth graders and their classmates. While the children had to contend with the usual playground fights, trying to make friends, and dealing with changing bodies, they were also living in fear of being kidnapped and murdered. Some were also impoverished, and worried about the stigma of free lunches and living in the "projects." One sweet young girl was also anxious about her parents' separation. A shy boy was even more fearful of his abusive father than a possible abductor. The daughter of a loving single mother was offered the opportunity to move to her father's house in another state - and completely uproot her life - to escape the danger in Atlanta. Over twenty children were murdered, mostly black adolescents, before the probable perpetrator was jailed.
Jones is a wonderful storyteller who gives us a window into the minds and conversations of scared and confused children. Who can they trust? Of course, their parents were also terror-stricken, and dreaded turning on the evening news. The title, "Leaving Atlanta," is chilling because some of the children left Atlanta in coffins.
Jones is a wonderful storyteller who gives us a window into the minds and conversations of scared and confused children. Who can they trust? Of course, their parents were also terror-stricken, and dreaded turning on the evening news. The title, "Leaving Atlanta," is chilling because some of the children left Atlanta in coffins.
November 28, 2023
As an Atlanta native, I felt compelled to read this story. Leaving Atlanta is a retelling of the Atlanta Child Murders (that happened from 1979-1981) from the POV of three children, Tasha, Rodney & Octavia. I'd give this a solid 4 stars and highly recommend it to any fan of historical fiction.
The use of multiple POV was significant in telling how children from different backgrounds went through the experiences. Overall, I felt very connected to Rodney & Octavia's story more than Tasha. It was interesting having Rodney's part told in third person, but makes sense compared to how he was impacted by the murders.
I love when a historical fiction book makes me want to dig deeper into learning more facts of what happened - and this did just that. I truly grieve for the families of those 29+ children that were impacted and this was a great choice for book club.
The use of multiple POV was significant in telling how children from different backgrounds went through the experiences. Overall, I felt very connected to Rodney & Octavia's story more than Tasha. It was interesting having Rodney's part told in third person, but makes sense compared to how he was impacted by the murders.
I love when a historical fiction book makes me want to dig deeper into learning more facts of what happened - and this did just that. I truly grieve for the families of those 29+ children that were impacted and this was a great choice for book club.
January 19, 2019
This books definitely kept me intrigued. This is my second Tayari Jones novel and it was so different from An American Marriage (which I really enjoyed). I love the way she develops characters and makes you feel as if you truly know them.
The Atlanta Child Murders was something I first discovered about a year ago when stumbling upon the Atlanta Monster podcast. I was intrigued to know more about who the killer was and the stories of these poor children. Although fictional, this book was definitely enlightening in so many ways. It made you feel as if you were present during that time and looking over your shoulder out of living in constant fear.
This book felt like home with so many Atlanta references. It’s one that kept my attention and that I truly enjoyed. You begin to sympathize with the young children as their friends seem to be picked off one by one. I rated this novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
The Atlanta Child Murders was something I first discovered about a year ago when stumbling upon the Atlanta Monster podcast. I was intrigued to know more about who the killer was and the stories of these poor children. Although fictional, this book was definitely enlightening in so many ways. It made you feel as if you were present during that time and looking over your shoulder out of living in constant fear.
This book felt like home with so many Atlanta references. It’s one that kept my attention and that I truly enjoyed. You begin to sympathize with the young children as their friends seem to be picked off one by one. I rated this novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
October 15, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ein Jahres-Highlight!
Das Buch war so bewegend, musste zum Schluss so sehr weinen 😢. Ganz toll geschrieben. Einfach wunderbar erzählt. Das Buch ist in drei Teile aufgeteilt. Jeder Teil wird von einem anderen Protagonisten erzählt (immer Kinder), jeder der drei war mir so nah. Vorallem der zweite Teil hattes es in sich. Ich habe mir direkt nach Beendigung des Buches, zwei weitere Romane der Autorin bestellt. Ich hoffe diese können mich genauso berühren. Ganz große Empfehlung ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Das Buch war so bewegend, musste zum Schluss so sehr weinen 😢. Ganz toll geschrieben. Einfach wunderbar erzählt. Das Buch ist in drei Teile aufgeteilt. Jeder Teil wird von einem anderen Protagonisten erzählt (immer Kinder), jeder der drei war mir so nah. Vorallem der zweite Teil hattes es in sich. Ich habe mir direkt nach Beendigung des Buches, zwei weitere Romane der Autorin bestellt. Ich hoffe diese können mich genauso berühren. Ganz große Empfehlung ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
May 24, 2021
Leaving Atlanta takes place in Oglethorpe Elementary School in 1979, during a period when 20+ African American children were abducted and murdered. Some children have never been found. Although Wayne Williams' arrest stopped the murders, he has maintained his innocence. No one has been convicted of the murders.
Tayari Jones attended Oglethorpe Elementary School during the period when two of her schoolmates were abducted and killed. She tells Leaving Atlanta from the perspective of three bullied 5th graders. Although her characters and the murdered children appear to be fictional, Jones takes several small cameos: "Tasha didn’t have to eat lunch with Octavia anymore. Now she sat with Tayari, who was fun to sit with because she was really good at imitating people’s voices" (p. 54). Yusef Bell, one of the real children who was murdered, one who attended Oglethorpe's gifted program, was referred to on several occasions. These cameos reminded me that this is not just a story and also that these children were multi-faceted.
Despite the story's dark context, a darkness which meant that the murders were always in the near background, Leaving Atlanta is about childhood in a way that most of us would recognize: reading Judy Blume, stealing candy; trying to survive bullying, abuse, and the pettiness of childhood friendships; attempting to fit in; and being afraid. It's about class and color biases within and external to the Black community. Octavia observed, "Kodak commercials say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the one they showed of [the missing boy] ain’t worth more than three or four. Boy. Black. Dead" (p. 155). Leaving Atlanta is also (sometimes) about being believed and supported.
Books with child narrators rarely present adults in positive ways. Many, but not all adults in Leaving Atlanta fall in this category. They are often self-centered and groom, abuse, and neglect children. Still, when faced with a very real and very dangerous boogeyman, most of them also worried about keeping their children safe, even when they disagreed about how. Tasha's mother argued that they did not know the murderer's race; her father said,
“Don’t hush me like I’m a child. I won’t hush. That’s the problem. We been hushed up too long. These children don’t know nothing about lynching. They don’t know about white folks burning niggers alive. That’s why we had to go out today—This whole thing is because black kids don’t have sense enough to be scared of a strange white man.” (pp. 76-77)
Wayne Williams, the man who has been accused of murdering them, is Black.
Other adults, though, "just went on like our class was a creek and [the missing boy] was just a cup of water that somebody dipped out" (p. 173). You can taste Octavia's anger that he was just disappeared from their class. I was outraged with her.
This was a difficult book, but it was also a beautiful one. How could I not like a book with Octavia's voice? How could I fail to enjoy a book whose Acknowledgments included this sentence?
There are many others who read ugly early drafts, coordinated kamikaze Xeroxing missions, gave money to help with postage, and/or offered to commission violence in lieu of more traditional routes of soliciting publishers. (p. 2)
Tayari Jones attended Oglethorpe Elementary School during the period when two of her schoolmates were abducted and killed. She tells Leaving Atlanta from the perspective of three bullied 5th graders. Although her characters and the murdered children appear to be fictional, Jones takes several small cameos: "Tasha didn’t have to eat lunch with Octavia anymore. Now she sat with Tayari, who was fun to sit with because she was really good at imitating people’s voices" (p. 54). Yusef Bell, one of the real children who was murdered, one who attended Oglethorpe's gifted program, was referred to on several occasions. These cameos reminded me that this is not just a story and also that these children were multi-faceted.
Despite the story's dark context, a darkness which meant that the murders were always in the near background, Leaving Atlanta is about childhood in a way that most of us would recognize: reading Judy Blume, stealing candy; trying to survive bullying, abuse, and the pettiness of childhood friendships; attempting to fit in; and being afraid. It's about class and color biases within and external to the Black community. Octavia observed, "Kodak commercials say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the one they showed of [the missing boy] ain’t worth more than three or four. Boy. Black. Dead" (p. 155). Leaving Atlanta is also (sometimes) about being believed and supported.
Books with child narrators rarely present adults in positive ways. Many, but not all adults in Leaving Atlanta fall in this category. They are often self-centered and groom, abuse, and neglect children. Still, when faced with a very real and very dangerous boogeyman, most of them also worried about keeping their children safe, even when they disagreed about how. Tasha's mother argued that they did not know the murderer's race; her father said,
“Don’t hush me like I’m a child. I won’t hush. That’s the problem. We been hushed up too long. These children don’t know nothing about lynching. They don’t know about white folks burning niggers alive. That’s why we had to go out today—This whole thing is because black kids don’t have sense enough to be scared of a strange white man.” (pp. 76-77)
Wayne Williams, the man who has been accused of murdering them, is Black.
Other adults, though, "just went on like our class was a creek and [the missing boy] was just a cup of water that somebody dipped out" (p. 173). You can taste Octavia's anger that he was just disappeared from their class. I was outraged with her.
This was a difficult book, but it was also a beautiful one. How could I not like a book with Octavia's voice? How could I fail to enjoy a book whose Acknowledgments included this sentence?
There are many others who read ugly early drafts, coordinated kamikaze Xeroxing missions, gave money to help with postage, and/or offered to commission violence in lieu of more traditional routes of soliciting publishers. (p. 2)
July 7, 2010
I enjoyed reading this account of the Alanta child murders as related from the viewpoint of three children. It makes one remember that children are children. They don't think like adults nor should they be expected to and one should always keep this in mind when dealing with issues involving children.
Leaving Atlanta, delves into different levels of coming of age in a time of racial inequality, parental disciplinaary actions, class disctinctions and the reality that children are being taken by some unknown person or persons.
My first impression was that it was an okay read, however, as the book progressed, I began to read with the eyes and minds of the children and by the end of the book it had become a beautifully written work for me.
Leaving Atlanta, delves into different levels of coming of age in a time of racial inequality, parental disciplinaary actions, class disctinctions and the reality that children are being taken by some unknown person or persons.
My first impression was that it was an okay read, however, as the book progressed, I began to read with the eyes and minds of the children and by the end of the book it had become a beautifully written work for me.
July 14, 2018
I’m a huge fan of Tayari Jones and have had her debut novel on my TBR ever since reading Silver Sparrow. So glad I finally placed the library order.
Set against the real-life backdrop of the terrifying murders of black children in Atlanta in 1979, jones provides the children’s viewpoints, living in fear — not just of the murders but of all the unknowns and scary things that come along with 5th grade, puberty, and living as a black youth in Atlanta.
Surprisingly, I felt more sadness and longing than terror and fear in this book. It’s told in the brilliant voice I expect of Jones. I say again that she should be required reading.
Set against the real-life backdrop of the terrifying murders of black children in Atlanta in 1979, jones provides the children’s viewpoints, living in fear — not just of the murders but of all the unknowns and scary things that come along with 5th grade, puberty, and living as a black youth in Atlanta.
Surprisingly, I felt more sadness and longing than terror and fear in this book. It’s told in the brilliant voice I expect of Jones. I say again that she should be required reading.
June 5, 2019
WOW. I literally engulfed this book within a day's time. I have other book club monthly reads and just wanted to start a few pages of this book; then, I couldn't put it down.
This book was published in 2003 and this is my first time hearing of it. I lived in Atlanta then.
The author's ability to capture and express the candid expressions, fears, perspectives, and voices of so many black middle school voices (in the midst of the Atlanta Child Murders) is nothing short of brilliant. I enjoyed this book even more than An American Marriage, though the prose and dialogues are just as superb.
All I can do is continue to read more.
This book was published in 2003 and this is my first time hearing of it. I lived in Atlanta then.
The author's ability to capture and express the candid expressions, fears, perspectives, and voices of so many black middle school voices (in the midst of the Atlanta Child Murders) is nothing short of brilliant. I enjoyed this book even more than An American Marriage, though the prose and dialogues are just as superb.
All I can do is continue to read more.
July 9, 2019
This is my third Tayari Jones novel and her writing feels like truth. Messy, uncomfortable, and ultimately beautiful. I appreciate how undone she leaves her endings: loose and pulsing with life. She reminds me of Toni Morrison.
August 20, 2022
2.5 Stars
First off, let me clarify. This entire book is NOT historical fiction. The Atlanta Child Murders of 1979 were true, but the characters are not real people. The children that went missing that the MCs knew? They weren't actually really children. Other than the Atlanta Child Murders, everything was fiction, a fantasy. I just had to clarify this before jumping into the review.
I just devoured this book. From page I've, I was stabbed l drawn in, my attention captured. But as the book continued, noticed my attention fading. Yes, I still was reading it quickly and loving it, but something was just off. And I'll tell you just what was off.
There were a number of things that could've done it, (from characters to the characters stories) but I believe it was the writing style. The author had a brilliant idea, it was just executed all shades of wrong.
I enjoyed how it went from 3 person POV, to 2nd person POV, to 1st POV. Because, how often do you read from second person's point of view?! It was cool and trippy all at the same time.
Another problem was I just couldn't fully connect with the characters. (Each POV is about a different person) Specifically the second POV. They all had pretty much the same personality, family things, and while they were very, VERY similar, that were still so different. Does that make sense? 🤣
One of my biggest problems with it was the end. It was too rushed, and it just didn't fit with the book. Did it give us more insight to Octavia's life and back story? Sure, but it just didn't fit. She moves away to live with her dad. The last line of the book is "I'll be missing my mama for the rest of my life." The end. I. Still. Don't. Understand.
On Octavia's back story, they would randomly mention how Octavia's Uncle would sexually assault her when she was little. It was so sad. And it would've been sadder, but it didn't fit with the plot, or her character. It would randomly be mentioned and made no sense
Was it an intriguing read? Yes, 1000%, but. It just wasn't executed right. I loved that she based the plot around the Georgia Child Murders, because that's a part of history that not very many people know about! 1979-1981. 22 black children, youth, and young adults were murdered. Again, it's not very talked about. (But books like this are also kinda my favorite because I learn about history that school doesn't teach and that not many people know about.)
All in all, not one I would recommend. I also will not be rereading.
First off, let me clarify. This entire book is NOT historical fiction. The Atlanta Child Murders of 1979 were true, but the characters are not real people. The children that went missing that the MCs knew? They weren't actually really children. Other than the Atlanta Child Murders, everything was fiction, a fantasy. I just had to clarify this before jumping into the review.
I just devoured this book. From page I've, I was stabbed l drawn in, my attention captured. But as the book continued, noticed my attention fading. Yes, I still was reading it quickly and loving it, but something was just off. And I'll tell you just what was off.
There were a number of things that could've done it, (from characters to the characters stories) but I believe it was the writing style. The author had a brilliant idea, it was just executed all shades of wrong.
I enjoyed how it went from 3 person POV, to 2nd person POV, to 1st POV. Because, how often do you read from second person's point of view?! It was cool and trippy all at the same time.
Another problem was I just couldn't fully connect with the characters. (Each POV is about a different person) Specifically the second POV. They all had pretty much the same personality, family things, and while they were very, VERY similar, that were still so different. Does that make sense? 🤣
One of my biggest problems with it was the end. It was too rushed, and it just didn't fit with the book. Did it give us more insight to Octavia's life and back story? Sure, but it just didn't fit. She moves away to live with her dad. The last line of the book is "I'll be missing my mama for the rest of my life." The end. I. Still. Don't. Understand.
On Octavia's back story, they would randomly mention how Octavia's Uncle would sexually assault her when she was little. It was so sad. And it would've been sadder, but it didn't fit with the plot, or her character. It would randomly be mentioned and made no sense
Was it an intriguing read? Yes, 1000%, but. It just wasn't executed right. I loved that she based the plot around the Georgia Child Murders, because that's a part of history that not very many people know about! 1979-1981. 22 black children, youth, and young adults were murdered. Again, it's not very talked about. (But books like this are also kinda my favorite because I learn about history that school doesn't teach and that not many people know about.)
All in all, not one I would recommend. I also will not be rereading.
July 7, 2018
While I waited for her newest book from the library, I took her two previous ones out and just finished Leaving Atlanta which I loved - the author has a beautiful way or writing that brings you right into the story and keeps you interested throughout - I just started her next one “The Untelling” and I’m enjoying it very much and can see how her writing became even better - I can’t wait to read An American Marriage
December 28, 2019
Felt like a first novel, but a very good one. Rich, easy-stroke characterization, confident language, and a fascinating (albeit nightmarish) setting. Switching from third to second to first person is an effective mechanism for drawing the reader in--and oh, your heart just clenches for these kids, who are wondering who to trust in late 70s Atlanta during an infamous child murder spree.
August 8, 2025
Jones’s debut novel is about the Atlanta Child Murders, a real-life serial killer spree that targeted 29 African American children between 1979 and 1982. (Two of the victims attended her elementary school.) Rather than addressing the gruesome reality, however, she takes a sideways look by considering the effect that fear has on students whose classmates start disappearing. Three sections rather like linked novellas take on the perspective of three different Oglethorpe Elementary fifth graders: LaTasha Baxter, Rodney Green, and Octavia Harrison. The POV moves from third to second to first person, a creative writing experiment that succeeds at pulling readers closer in. The AAVE-inflected dialogue and interactions feel genuine in each, and I liked the playful addition of “Tayari Jones” as a fringe character.
Even as their school is making news headlines, the children’s concerns are perennial adolescent ones: how to avoid bullying, who to sit with at lunch, how to be friendly yet not falsely encourage members of the opposite sex. And at home, all three struggle with an absent or overbearing father. At age 11, these kids are just starting to realize that their parents aren’t perfect and might not be able to keep them safe. I especially warmed to Octavia’s voice, even as her story made my heart ache: “cussing at myself for being too stupid to see that nothing lasts. That people get away from you like a handful of sweet smoke.” I preferred this offbeat, tender coming-of-age novel to Silver Sparrow and would place it on a par with An American Marriage.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Even as their school is making news headlines, the children’s concerns are perennial adolescent ones: how to avoid bullying, who to sit with at lunch, how to be friendly yet not falsely encourage members of the opposite sex. And at home, all three struggle with an absent or overbearing father. At age 11, these kids are just starting to realize that their parents aren’t perfect and might not be able to keep them safe. I especially warmed to Octavia’s voice, even as her story made my heart ache: “cussing at myself for being too stupid to see that nothing lasts. That people get away from you like a handful of sweet smoke.” I preferred this offbeat, tender coming-of-age novel to Silver Sparrow and would place it on a par with An American Marriage.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
February 23, 2015
Leaving Atlanta tells the story of classmates Tasha Baxter, Rodney Green and Octavia Harrison during their fifth-grade year at Oglethorpe Elementary in Atlanta.
"Might nothing. Think about it. You ain’t never heard of nobody black going around killing people for no reason. That’s white people’s shit."
Tasha is eager to return to school to show off her jump rope skills after practicing all summer to perfect her moves. If she can perfect her foot work then she may gain a spot in the clique of Monica and Forsythia. However, those dreams come to a halt when she finds out that jumping rope in fifth-grade is “baby stuff” according to Monica. As the girls graduate from jumping rope to playing jacks, Tasha shows off her skills and puts a whipping on Monica. That doesn’t help her chances of gaining access to the in-crowd but it does cause her to question the state of her family.
"You now know, as undeniably as if you had read it in the World Book Encyclopedia, that Officer Brown has nothing useful to share. As a matter of fact, you are more fearful than ever to know that this man is all that stands between your generation and an early death."
Rodney is a loner who has little to say but his thoughts are priceless. He spends his days trying to make himself invisible as he comes to grips with the fact that he’ll never please his father. If only “an epidemic of disappearing black fathers” hit his home like so many of his friends everything would be okay. Instead his dad appears at the school after Rodney falls asleep at recess and misses lunch. After being humiliated in front of his peers he is convinced that any place is better than home.
"Kodak commercials say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the one they showed of ____ ain’t worth more than three or four. ____. Black. Dead."
Octavia, another outcast, is affectionately called “Sweet Pea” by her single mom but is ostracized for her dark skin and is teasingly called “Watusi” by her classmates. Unlike her “almost friend” Rodney who tries to make himself invisible, Octavia has a good aim and will fight back with words and rocks. But when two people she knows goes missing she is forced to deal with the consequences.
Leaving Atlanta is one of the few stories that make you start your sentence with, “Girl let me tell you about this book…” when asked how you like it.
This novel is a fictional story set in Atlanta during one of Atlanta’s America’s darkest hours, Atlanta’s Child Murders. During the years of 1979-1982, twenty-nine children went missing and some were found dead.
Born in 1978, I’m too young to remember these events but author Tayari Jones delivers a first hand account from the third person narrative of Tasha, the second person narrative of Rodney and a first person account by Octavia. Each of the fifth-graders tell the story from their own unbiased point-of-view.
As I read the book I felt like I was in Atlanta during these events. The feelings that resonated from the characters were feelings I could remember having as a child. I found myself thinking on many occasions, “Tayari had to have really dug deep in her past to nail these childlike characteristics.”
I also wondered if writing this book had affected her mental state since two of her classmates were among the twenty-nine missing.
I’m not sure I could have told this story but Tayari did and it was done with a style that is to be envied. Her descriptive words and language never failed to paint a picture or conjure feelings of my childhood.
What I loved most about this book was that it didn’t talk so much about the Atlanta Child Murders but focused more on how the community reacted to it, especially the children. I couldn’t imagine having to walk home from school with a serial killer on the loose.
This novel is broken into three parts with a three, two, one punch that hits you hard below the belt. Initially you would think that the three different perspectives would be ill-fitting but they all meshed together to tell a wonderful story about an unfortunate time in our history.
"Might nothing. Think about it. You ain’t never heard of nobody black going around killing people for no reason. That’s white people’s shit."
Tasha is eager to return to school to show off her jump rope skills after practicing all summer to perfect her moves. If she can perfect her foot work then she may gain a spot in the clique of Monica and Forsythia. However, those dreams come to a halt when she finds out that jumping rope in fifth-grade is “baby stuff” according to Monica. As the girls graduate from jumping rope to playing jacks, Tasha shows off her skills and puts a whipping on Monica. That doesn’t help her chances of gaining access to the in-crowd but it does cause her to question the state of her family.
"You now know, as undeniably as if you had read it in the World Book Encyclopedia, that Officer Brown has nothing useful to share. As a matter of fact, you are more fearful than ever to know that this man is all that stands between your generation and an early death."
Rodney is a loner who has little to say but his thoughts are priceless. He spends his days trying to make himself invisible as he comes to grips with the fact that he’ll never please his father. If only “an epidemic of disappearing black fathers” hit his home like so many of his friends everything would be okay. Instead his dad appears at the school after Rodney falls asleep at recess and misses lunch. After being humiliated in front of his peers he is convinced that any place is better than home.
"Kodak commercials say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the one they showed of ____ ain’t worth more than three or four. ____. Black. Dead."
Octavia, another outcast, is affectionately called “Sweet Pea” by her single mom but is ostracized for her dark skin and is teasingly called “Watusi” by her classmates. Unlike her “almost friend” Rodney who tries to make himself invisible, Octavia has a good aim and will fight back with words and rocks. But when two people she knows goes missing she is forced to deal with the consequences.
Leaving Atlanta is one of the few stories that make you start your sentence with, “Girl let me tell you about this book…” when asked how you like it.
This novel is a fictional story set in Atlanta during one of Atlanta’s America’s darkest hours, Atlanta’s Child Murders. During the years of 1979-1982, twenty-nine children went missing and some were found dead.
Born in 1978, I’m too young to remember these events but author Tayari Jones delivers a first hand account from the third person narrative of Tasha, the second person narrative of Rodney and a first person account by Octavia. Each of the fifth-graders tell the story from their own unbiased point-of-view.
As I read the book I felt like I was in Atlanta during these events. The feelings that resonated from the characters were feelings I could remember having as a child. I found myself thinking on many occasions, “Tayari had to have really dug deep in her past to nail these childlike characteristics.”
I also wondered if writing this book had affected her mental state since two of her classmates were among the twenty-nine missing.
I’m not sure I could have told this story but Tayari did and it was done with a style that is to be envied. Her descriptive words and language never failed to paint a picture or conjure feelings of my childhood.
What I loved most about this book was that it didn’t talk so much about the Atlanta Child Murders but focused more on how the community reacted to it, especially the children. I couldn’t imagine having to walk home from school with a serial killer on the loose.
This novel is broken into three parts with a three, two, one punch that hits you hard below the belt. Initially you would think that the three different perspectives would be ill-fitting but they all meshed together to tell a wonderful story about an unfortunate time in our history.
January 3, 2014
(originally published at http://nomadreader.blogspot.com)
The backstory: Leaving Atlanta is the first novel by Tayari Jones. After adoring her most recent novel, Silver Sparrow (my review), I finally got around to reading this one ("finally getting around to reading" was the theme of much of my holiday break binge-reading!)
The basics: Told in three parts from the perspective of three black middle school students in southwest Atlanta, Leaving Atlanta takes place at the time of the notorious Atlanta Child Murders.
My thoughts: I spent almost half my life in Atlanta (although I'm getting farther away from that every year!) Regardless, I've lived more years in Atlanta than in any other city, and I've been fascinated by the Atlanta Child Murders since I first heard of them. Jones introduces the reader to this time through three different child narrators. Each of the three takes one section, although the sections frequently reference the other narrators. I have mixed reactions to this storytelling approach. Typically, I love different narrators, but these narrators didn't alternate. When narration first switched, it took me a few pages to re-orient myself. The transition to the third narrator was much smoother, and I was excited to see which student was taking over the story. In one sense, I think Jones captured the atmosphere of what it was like to be a child in southwest Atlanta at that time. That one of the classmates, but not one of the three narrators, is named Tayari Jones, certainly gives credance to this theory. Obviously these children are scared, but as is often the case with child narrators, they don't really understand what's going on. (To be fair, I don't think anyone really understood what was happening at this time.)
As I read, and after I finished the novel, I've been wrestling with what pieces didn't quite work for me, and I still struggle to articulate them. In many ways, Jones was incredibly successful, which makes me wonder if my perception of the novel's shortcomings are about my own expectations of this subject rather than her execution. Ultimately, I failed to emotionally connect with any of the three narrators, which left me wanting if not something more, something slightly different. It's a very good novel, but I wanted it to be a great one.
Favorite passage: "How can I say that I can’t stand to talk about it? And how can you say that you can’t stand to hear it when other people are living it?”
The verdict: There is much to ponder, savor, and enjoy in Leaving Atlanta. Emotionally, however, it fell a bit short for me. Yet as I read, I found myself wanting more, whether it was the perspective of more narrators or more terror, as someone who already knew so much about this frightful time, I simply yearned for more.
The backstory: Leaving Atlanta is the first novel by Tayari Jones. After adoring her most recent novel, Silver Sparrow (my review), I finally got around to reading this one ("finally getting around to reading" was the theme of much of my holiday break binge-reading!)
The basics: Told in three parts from the perspective of three black middle school students in southwest Atlanta, Leaving Atlanta takes place at the time of the notorious Atlanta Child Murders.
My thoughts: I spent almost half my life in Atlanta (although I'm getting farther away from that every year!) Regardless, I've lived more years in Atlanta than in any other city, and I've been fascinated by the Atlanta Child Murders since I first heard of them. Jones introduces the reader to this time through three different child narrators. Each of the three takes one section, although the sections frequently reference the other narrators. I have mixed reactions to this storytelling approach. Typically, I love different narrators, but these narrators didn't alternate. When narration first switched, it took me a few pages to re-orient myself. The transition to the third narrator was much smoother, and I was excited to see which student was taking over the story. In one sense, I think Jones captured the atmosphere of what it was like to be a child in southwest Atlanta at that time. That one of the classmates, but not one of the three narrators, is named Tayari Jones, certainly gives credance to this theory. Obviously these children are scared, but as is often the case with child narrators, they don't really understand what's going on. (To be fair, I don't think anyone really understood what was happening at this time.)
As I read, and after I finished the novel, I've been wrestling with what pieces didn't quite work for me, and I still struggle to articulate them. In many ways, Jones was incredibly successful, which makes me wonder if my perception of the novel's shortcomings are about my own expectations of this subject rather than her execution. Ultimately, I failed to emotionally connect with any of the three narrators, which left me wanting if not something more, something slightly different. It's a very good novel, but I wanted it to be a great one.
Favorite passage: "How can I say that I can’t stand to talk about it? And how can you say that you can’t stand to hear it when other people are living it?”
The verdict: There is much to ponder, savor, and enjoy in Leaving Atlanta. Emotionally, however, it fell a bit short for me. Yet as I read, I found myself wanting more, whether it was the perspective of more narrators or more terror, as someone who already knew so much about this frightful time, I simply yearned for more.
March 17, 2015
Leaving Atlanta is a novel told in three distinct voices. LaTasha, Rodney, and Octavia are fifth grade classmates living in Atlanta during the time of the real-life child murders in 1980-81. The kids may be living under the same cloud of fear and dread, but Jones demonstrates with some amazing tonal shifts how different their experiences and feelings are.
I hadn't read much about the book before starting it, so when the book opens with Tasha's section, I expected the entire novel to center around her. And I would have been fine with that—a book about just Tasha would have been great. Jones relates her story in a close third-person, sensitively portraying her attempts at being cool, her fear and hurt at her parents' separation, her loving but typically bossy relationship with her little sister. I was surprised and a little disappointed at first when I turned the page and discovered the second part of the book wasn't about Tasha, but I was just as quickly enthralled by Rodney's story, and Octavia's after it.
And I have to mention that Rodney's section is the most effective use of second person narration I've ever seen. Jones is so smooth with it, I didn't even notice it was second person until I was several pages in. I generally like it when authors go with second person, but it's a choice that always draws attention to itself, like “Look at me, I've been to a writer's workshop!” In Jones's hands, though, it's more than a showy gimmick—it's a necessary aid to the narrative. Rodney, the most enigmatic character of the three, is instantly knowable thanks to the repeated “you, you, you.”
Even though I wasn't sold on the format at first, by the last page I was convinced the novel gets its power from the combination of all three children's voices. What could have been a singular story becomes universal when the overlapping stories are presented together.
Jones was a child herself in Atlanta during the time of the murders, and she expresses well the fear and uncertainty that kind of violence visited on the community. By the time the murders ended, at least 29 African-American children were dead. Most haunting of all, Jones explains in the author's note that though a person widely suspected to be responsible was jailed on other charges, many Atlanta residents believe the real murderer is still at large.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
I hadn't read much about the book before starting it, so when the book opens with Tasha's section, I expected the entire novel to center around her. And I would have been fine with that—a book about just Tasha would have been great. Jones relates her story in a close third-person, sensitively portraying her attempts at being cool, her fear and hurt at her parents' separation, her loving but typically bossy relationship with her little sister. I was surprised and a little disappointed at first when I turned the page and discovered the second part of the book wasn't about Tasha, but I was just as quickly enthralled by Rodney's story, and Octavia's after it.
And I have to mention that Rodney's section is the most effective use of second person narration I've ever seen. Jones is so smooth with it, I didn't even notice it was second person until I was several pages in. I generally like it when authors go with second person, but it's a choice that always draws attention to itself, like “Look at me, I've been to a writer's workshop!” In Jones's hands, though, it's more than a showy gimmick—it's a necessary aid to the narrative. Rodney, the most enigmatic character of the three, is instantly knowable thanks to the repeated “you, you, you.”
Even though I wasn't sold on the format at first, by the last page I was convinced the novel gets its power from the combination of all three children's voices. What could have been a singular story becomes universal when the overlapping stories are presented together.
Jones was a child herself in Atlanta during the time of the murders, and she expresses well the fear and uncertainty that kind of violence visited on the community. By the time the murders ended, at least 29 African-American children were dead. Most haunting of all, Jones explains in the author's note that though a person widely suspected to be responsible was jailed on other charges, many Atlanta residents believe the real murderer is still at large.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
December 22, 2018
Let me begin by saying this was my first read by Tayari Jones. But, it won’t be my last. Secondly, it took me back to a sad time: the Atlanta child murders in 1979 - 1981. During this time over 20 children and young adults were murdered. Thirdly and most importantly, for the first time, the story was told through the eyes of the children. The writer enabled Octavia, Tausha and others to show the readers the effect that this had on them and how their innocence was taken as well as their lives forever changed.
As I read the book, I was reminded of a song by Amy Grant entitled Innocence Lost. The song starts off: ”I can't relive my life....I can’t retrace my tracks....I can’t undo what’s done and there’s no going back.” That’s all I thought about as I read. I can’t imagine living a life whereas Innocence was lost. An upbringing of innocence should be a guarantee. The youngsters were going through the typical things that children experience: peer pressure and acceptance, coming to grips with self awareness and their own consciousness as well as image and puberty woes.
Then, out of nowhere: innocence lost (i.e. children not returning home, girls starting periods, parenting and communities changing their normal routines and the buddy system and Guardian Angels becoming a part of the new normal).
Like Tausha’s father, I didn’t see the arrest of Wayne Williams coming. Like Rodney and others, their view was the killer wore a uniform. It goes to show that there is no picture of who can and who will resort to such behavior. The book also reflected that even when informed of what to do or not to do...children are just that...children. Some will go with strangers while others won’t. But, nevertheless, it’s important to talk with children about leaving with others w/o permission. Safety and placing precautions around them; i.e. buzz words and the like.
On February 27, 1982, like many others I shouted loudly when the jury found Wayne Williams guilty of two murders and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Even after various cases were reopened, they, too, were attributed to him. What a wonderful work. Kudos to the author. Kudos to the thought to reflect how this devastation was seen through the eyes of the children.
Note: Great Job!
As I read the book, I was reminded of a song by Amy Grant entitled Innocence Lost. The song starts off: ”I can't relive my life....I can’t retrace my tracks....I can’t undo what’s done and there’s no going back.” That’s all I thought about as I read. I can’t imagine living a life whereas Innocence was lost. An upbringing of innocence should be a guarantee. The youngsters were going through the typical things that children experience: peer pressure and acceptance, coming to grips with self awareness and their own consciousness as well as image and puberty woes.
Then, out of nowhere: innocence lost (i.e. children not returning home, girls starting periods, parenting and communities changing their normal routines and the buddy system and Guardian Angels becoming a part of the new normal).
Like Tausha’s father, I didn’t see the arrest of Wayne Williams coming. Like Rodney and others, their view was the killer wore a uniform. It goes to show that there is no picture of who can and who will resort to such behavior. The book also reflected that even when informed of what to do or not to do...children are just that...children. Some will go with strangers while others won’t. But, nevertheless, it’s important to talk with children about leaving with others w/o permission. Safety and placing precautions around them; i.e. buzz words and the like.
On February 27, 1982, like many others I shouted loudly when the jury found Wayne Williams guilty of two murders and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Even after various cases were reopened, they, too, were attributed to him. What a wonderful work. Kudos to the author. Kudos to the thought to reflect how this devastation was seen through the eyes of the children.
Note: Great Job!
January 26, 2011
Every blogger/reader has to have a few authors that they champion, that aren't being read enough by their peers. Tayari Jones is that author for me. Why aren't more people reading her books? Why don't more people know her name? READ Tayari Jones! I can't wait for Silver Sparrow.
February 9, 2018
This is my first Tayari Jones read. The novel was exceptional written(my opinion). It is an emotional, heartbreaking read. I don’t recall much about the “The Atlanta Child Murders” prior to reading the novel which brought awareness to a dark time in American history.
July 28, 2024
I enjoyed this coming of age story, set against the backdrop of the terrifying time of the Atlanta child murders. My favourite Tayari Jones book to date.
February 14, 2023
The only complaint I have is I would have enjoyed to hear more stories from children growing up during that time. Otherwise the book was a well written fascinating novel about a serial killer that terrorized Atlanta black youth. And while the stories of the kids may be fiction, the actual serial killer that only targeted black kids specifically boys in the late 70’s was real.
August 11, 2011
Leaving Atlanta is a story that definitely left its mark on me. Even as I moved on to reading other books, I found my mind returning to the characters in this book, wondering about them as if they were real people I interacted with in my life. Maybe it's because the main characters were children, naive to the world, that I wanted to reach out and protect. Whatever the reason, I was thoroughly impressed with this novel, and probably even more so because of the depth of the story despite its simplicity.
Leaving Atlanta is told against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979. This true event involved the kidnapping and murder of over twenty African American children in Atlanta, Georgia between 1979 and 1981. Childhood can be difficult enough, fitting in at school, trying to make friends, without having to worry that you'll be the next child snatched off the street and murdered. Yet, such was the reality for the children of fictional Oglethorpe Elementary. They were faced with trying to understand the frenzy their parents were placed in, worrying about their children coming straight home after school. Worrying about who the murderer could be. Told in three parts (each focusing on a different child), Jones worries less about a specific plot and more about bringing the reader into the mind and daily life of a child caught in this scary situation. And although the murders are the main thing on everyone's minds, the children are also learning about the world around them and dealing with issues such as race, poverty, abuse, peer groups, and bullying.
Jones's character development was superb. The writing was told from a child's perspective (first in third person, then in second, then in first) but didn't revert to childlike language. I thought it was such an astute manner of writing because other than the use of the child's language in dialogue, the only other "childish" part was the perception of the child. I was able to appreciate the writing while still feeling as though I was in the child's thoughts. I became so attached to the character of Tasha in the first part of the book that I was devastated when I realized the second part was told from the point of view of another character. But just like part one, I grew to care about the second and third characters immensely. The ending of the second part gave me chills. The significance of what life meant for that child, and the decision he makes... it's one I won't forget. I wish I knew someone else who read this just so I can discuss that one part!
Leaving Atlanta is a book about children and about the big bad world. Its quiet subtlety masks a surprising intensity that will leave you thinking about it for a long time after turning that last page.
Looking forward to reading more by this author!
Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com
Leaving Atlanta is told against the backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979. This true event involved the kidnapping and murder of over twenty African American children in Atlanta, Georgia between 1979 and 1981. Childhood can be difficult enough, fitting in at school, trying to make friends, without having to worry that you'll be the next child snatched off the street and murdered. Yet, such was the reality for the children of fictional Oglethorpe Elementary. They were faced with trying to understand the frenzy their parents were placed in, worrying about their children coming straight home after school. Worrying about who the murderer could be. Told in three parts (each focusing on a different child), Jones worries less about a specific plot and more about bringing the reader into the mind and daily life of a child caught in this scary situation. And although the murders are the main thing on everyone's minds, the children are also learning about the world around them and dealing with issues such as race, poverty, abuse, peer groups, and bullying.
Jones's character development was superb. The writing was told from a child's perspective (first in third person, then in second, then in first) but didn't revert to childlike language. I thought it was such an astute manner of writing because other than the use of the child's language in dialogue, the only other "childish" part was the perception of the child. I was able to appreciate the writing while still feeling as though I was in the child's thoughts. I became so attached to the character of Tasha in the first part of the book that I was devastated when I realized the second part was told from the point of view of another character. But just like part one, I grew to care about the second and third characters immensely. The ending of the second part gave me chills. The significance of what life meant for that child, and the decision he makes... it's one I won't forget. I wish I knew someone else who read this just so I can discuss that one part!
Leaving Atlanta is a book about children and about the big bad world. Its quiet subtlety masks a surprising intensity that will leave you thinking about it for a long time after turning that last page.
Looking forward to reading more by this author!
Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com
March 12, 2025
Llegué a esta novela tan curiosa buscando un candidato para la décima etapa del reto LA VUELTA AL MUNDO EN 12 LIBROS ¡SIN LÍMITES! 2024. Y como la única novela —que aparecía por todas partes— cuya ambientación estuviese localizada en Atlanta —la ciudad por la que pasaba esta escala— era ‘Lo que el viento se llevó’, casi me rindo buscando otra. Pero, al final, siempre aparece algo, y ‘Leaving Atlanta’ irrumpió en mis lecturas.
Por supuesto, no conocía a la autora. Y de Atlanta sabía más bien poco, que tiene una floreciente industria cinematográfica y bastantes edificios de arquitectura moderna que le permiten localizar allí los escenarios de pelis y series distópicas. De la retahíla de asesinatos de niños que son la base de esta novela no tenía ni la más mínima idea, y eso puede ser bastante lógico, dado que se trató exclusivamente de niños negros. Algo que subyace en el argumento de la novela: si se hubiera tratado de niños blancos el asunto —seguro— hubiera tenido muchísima más trascendencia.
Hay tres cosas que me parecieron extraordinarias al respecto de la obra. La primera, que la autora fue testigo de los sucesos reales. La segunda, que los tres narradores —en tercera, segunda y primera persona respectivamente— son niños implicados de una u otra manera en el desgraciado suceso. Y la tercera, que Tayari Jones hace una especie de cameo en la novela.
Dicho todo esto, creo que usar el punto de vista de las víctimas es mucho mejor que usar el del asesino —como en la mayoría de historias—. Ese alguien que condenaron finalmente por los asesinatos, aunque haya la posibilidad de que solo fuese un chivo expiatorio, el perfecto candidato para cargarle los muertos y así cerrar el caso. Después de todo, solo eran niños negros.
Tayari Jones quiso resarcirse a ella misma y resarcir de algún modo a los niños afectados que formaron parte de su entorno escolar de la infancia. Y yo creo que lo consiguió con un enorme éxito.
Gran historia, y gran libro.
Por supuesto, no conocía a la autora. Y de Atlanta sabía más bien poco, que tiene una floreciente industria cinematográfica y bastantes edificios de arquitectura moderna que le permiten localizar allí los escenarios de pelis y series distópicas. De la retahíla de asesinatos de niños que son la base de esta novela no tenía ni la más mínima idea, y eso puede ser bastante lógico, dado que se trató exclusivamente de niños negros. Algo que subyace en el argumento de la novela: si se hubiera tratado de niños blancos el asunto —seguro— hubiera tenido muchísima más trascendencia.
Hay tres cosas que me parecieron extraordinarias al respecto de la obra. La primera, que la autora fue testigo de los sucesos reales. La segunda, que los tres narradores —en tercera, segunda y primera persona respectivamente— son niños implicados de una u otra manera en el desgraciado suceso. Y la tercera, que Tayari Jones hace una especie de cameo en la novela.
Dicho todo esto, creo que usar el punto de vista de las víctimas es mucho mejor que usar el del asesino —como en la mayoría de historias—. Ese alguien que condenaron finalmente por los asesinatos, aunque haya la posibilidad de que solo fuese un chivo expiatorio, el perfecto candidato para cargarle los muertos y así cerrar el caso. Después de todo, solo eran niños negros.
Tayari Jones quiso resarcirse a ella misma y resarcir de algún modo a los niños afectados que formaron parte de su entorno escolar de la infancia. Y yo creo que lo consiguió con un enorme éxito.
Gran historia, y gran libro.
November 11, 2014
Between 1979 and 1981, many black children in Atlanta, GA were killed. Ms. Jones explores how these murders affected the children of Atlanta. The novel relates this terrifying time through the eyes of three children. The first story is told in third person, the second in second person, and the last is told in first person. All the stories are horrifying, although the second one about Rodney is especially troubling.
This novel is not just about the murders, but about the trials of growing up in the early 80's, but especially growing up black. Their parents remembered the Civil Rights movement and living in segregated society. They were convinced that the murders were being committed by whites. How could they protect their children? Many decisions had to be made and those decisions affected the children.
I thought the author portrayed the thought processes of 11 year olds pretty well; their petty fights, the struggles to understand a frightening world and each other, while trying to cope with adults who appeared to be uncaring or angry or unloving.
The book is definitely easy to read and almost seems like a YA book rather than a book for the adult reader.
This novel is not just about the murders, but about the trials of growing up in the early 80's, but especially growing up black. Their parents remembered the Civil Rights movement and living in segregated society. They were convinced that the murders were being committed by whites. How could they protect their children? Many decisions had to be made and those decisions affected the children.
I thought the author portrayed the thought processes of 11 year olds pretty well; their petty fights, the struggles to understand a frightening world and each other, while trying to cope with adults who appeared to be uncaring or angry or unloving.
The book is definitely easy to read and almost seems like a YA book rather than a book for the adult reader.
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