Leaving Home: Stories

Definitions of home and experiences of departure are as varied as the characters populating this expertly chosen multicultural anthology from the editors of the collection Bearing Witness. Poems, essays and short stories from 15 contemporary writers (including Amy Tan, Tim Wynne-Jones and Judith Ortiz Cofer) trace the emotions linked to particular forms of embarkations-e.g., starting school, boarding a ship, and entering marriage. While some voices here reverberate with eagerness to break new ground, others resonate with the regret of leaving loved ones behind. For most narrators, entry into the unknown stirs mixed emotions. In ""On the Rainy River,"" Tim O'Brien describes the agonized paralysis he feels after receiving his draft notice during the Vietnam War. Norma Fox Mazer's ""Zelzah: A Tale from Long Ago"" explores the fluctuating sentiments of a Jewish girl sent from Poland to America to meet the fiance chosen by her parents. The most complex and thorough story of separation and journey is found in Toni Morrison's ""Recitatif,"" about two childhood friends haunted for years by a memory they share. Conjuring individual dreams of escape or refuge, these selections cast different spectrums of light on significant turning points. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)