out now from w.w.Norton

"A wise, honest, and completely absorbing memoir of marriage and motherhood that is particular in the details but universal in a way that will resonate with many readers."

—Booklist

“In her gorgeously written memoir, Kelly McMasters navigates through—and ultimately out of—the very real yet unmappable space that a marriage occupies. Her story is one of a kind and yet pieces feel familiar: the gradual estrangement, the power imbalances, the anguish around the decision to stay or go, and the surprising discovery that, as a single mother, ‘the load felt lighter, the house brighter.’ This book, written by a complete stranger, made me feel a sense of community. What a profound gift.”

—Maggie Smith, bestselling author of YOU COULD MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL HERE

“Never have I encountered a memoir that explores motherhood and marriage with such warmth, intimacy, and wisdom. This is a book that will forever change the way you see your world—and yourself.”

—Joanna Rakoff, bestselling author of MY SALINGER YEAR

"The Leaving Season is an astoundingly gorgeous memoir of life and love and leaving. With devastating insight, Kelly McMasters paints a delicate portrait of love and home and what happens when it all falls apart. With an eye for detail and empathetic and deeply human portraits of the communities she inhabits, McMasters has created a soul-deep work of aching beauty and stubborn hope. Written with lush prose and an expansive heart, both gentle and gut-wrenching, beautiful and profound, The Leaving Season is a work of wonder."

—Lyz Lenz, author of the forthcoming THIS AMERICAN EX WIFE