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Amber McBride’s work has been published in literary magazines including Ploughshares and Provincetown Arts. Her debut young adult novel Me (Moth) was a Finalist for the National Book Award and won the 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Awards’ John Steptoe New Talent Award, among many other accolades. More about this author >
Filed in the following archives
Gospel is the Keeper of the Leaving Room—a place all young people must phase through when they die. The young are never ready to leave; they need a moment to remember and a Keeper to help their wispy souls along.
When a random door opens and a Keeper named Melodee arrives, their souls become entangled. Gospel’s seriousness melts and Melodee’s fear of connection fades, but still—are Keepers allowed to fall in love? Now they must find a way out of the Leaving Room and be unafraid of their love. In a novel that takes place over four minutes, National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride explores connection, memory, and hope in ways that are unforgettable and poignant.
The Leaving Room invites readers to enter its unique, unforgettable world again and again, each visit revealing new depths of meaning and emotion. In this luminous novel-in-verse, Amber McBride weaves joy, loss, and transcendence into a master class of poetic craft. Through language both tender and daring, McBride transforms grief into grace—creating a story to savor, to learn from, and to hold close.
Amber McBride at the 2025 National Book Awards Finalist Reading
