In Leaving Cecil Street, Diane McKinney-Whetstone vividly portrays a neighborhood that is pleasant to both the eye and heart as she gives us an intimate look at the innermost thoughts of the people.
In the story, we are privy to the private thoughts of only a few of the people in the neighborhood. There is Joe, a passionate saxophone player who in sadness of having to lay down his instrument to start a family has discovered other ways to fulfill his passion. His wife Louise, who has a significant lack of compassion and empathy and a fear of pain, is ironically a successful nurse. Their daughter Shay is a typical teenager faced with the challenge of dealing with love lost-both between her parents and her and her best friend.
Their churchy next-door neighbor Alberta is so ostracized by everyone for her decision to follow a strict religious group, it's a wonder she remains on Cecil Street. Neet is Alberta's daughter. The innocence she thinks she has reclaimed with love causes an eerie catastrophe that affects everyone on Cecil Street. Deucie, a character who unknowing to everyone, becomes a mysterious resident of Cecil Street.
As the story progresses, we learn more and more about how each of the characters is disconnected from the rest, until at the last party of the story, we discover they are more connected than they could have ever imagined.