"'Leaving home' brings together three previously published short pieces, each dealing with a variation on the theme of leaving home. The first, "Weights and measures," deals with the tragic loss of a child; the second is a non-fiction letter Picoult wrote to her eldest son as he left for college; and "Ritz" tells the story of a mother who takes the vacation all mothers need sometime" -- from container.

Provides critical overviews of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes discussions of plot, characters, themes and structure as well as the work's cultural and historical significance.