My book draws many parallels to Mark Twain's classic, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. My fresh writing approach and familiarity with Jamaican culture renew the old story and make it unique. If Tom Sawyer grew up in Jamaica, his name would have been Todd Christian-the main character in the novel Leaving Home. The story chronicles the growing pains of a twelve-year-old boy from my home country. I write vividly about the carefree days of youth and the often tumultuous transition into adulthood. Leaving Home is a true-to-life account of a young boy growing up in rural Jamaica. Todd Christian is a twelve-year-old boy who struggles with growing pains. He sometimes gets into trouble, like the time he tried to fix his mother up with Deacon Ross or the time he played detective to find out who his mother was dating. Todd's young life is filled with many adventures. His place of refuge is his beloved Rio Grande, where he is often joined by his friends Fritz, Jacob, and Malcolm. The boys would often sail down the river on their raft the U-Friendship. As Todd's story unfolds, he discovers that his mother has a surprise for him. He does all that he can to spoil his mother's plan.