A Country You Can Leave, author Asale's Angel-Ajani's novel set to be published on February 27, 2023, follows a mother, named Yevgenia, and her teenaged daughter, named Lara, who are struggling to survive in the harsh California dessert. The teenager is black and biracial; the girl's mother is a lively Russian immigrant. The two don't have many resources and are forced to live in a mobile home.
At home, Yevgenia lords over Lara and doesn't let her do the things many teenagers are able to do. She is a domineering woman. Lara, for instance, can't read books in English; instead, she can only read books written in Russian. But Lara knows that there is more behind her mother's behavior. To move on and be successful members of society, Lara and her mother first need to confront their family history of abuse and violence, the trauma from that abuse and violence, and society's racism.
For Angel-Ajani, A Country You Can Leave, which was her debut novel, is a deeply personal book. And the novel's heart is reflected by the reviews for the novel. Publisher's Weekly loved Angel-Ajani's novel. In their review of A Country Your Can Leave, they wrote that "In perceptive prose and wry dialogue, Angel-Ajani brings to life a mother and daughter trapped by their circumstances. This is [an] exemplary [novel]." Other reviewers felt similarly.
