Loved this. Solid plot. Strong character development. Wonderfully atmospheric. Pretty compulsive read. She is a favorite author of mine and this is just the kind of storytelling I love from her.

I've read a number of Patti Callahan Henry’s books and have pretty much liked all of them. But this one is more than just a likeable story. This story is compelling.
A very talented artist from a small town in the Carolinas is haunted by her mother’s disappearance twenty-five years earlier. That wouldn't be such an unusual storyline, except we immediately begin to find out what an unusual person her mother was. Clara’s mother’s disappearance haunts her especially because the world has not forgotten the unusual novel Bronwyn wrote at age 12 in an invented language. She is left wrestling with the consequences on a daily basis.
Into the midst of Clara’s life comes a phone call from England. A man she does not know has a letter addressed to her and a satchel full of papers with indecipherable words. It can only be the lost dictionary that would allow Clara to translate the unpublished sequel to her mother’s novel.
With unsupportable hope, Clara packs up her daughter and heads to London. In the early fifties, London experienced a killer fog from a combination of coal soot and dampness. Clara’s daughter has severe asthma and Clara, who has now met the man with the papers and retrieved them, must get out of the city. Charlie will take Clara and Wynnie to his parents country home in Cumbria. But disaster follows when a person they offer a ride to steals the papers and Clara’s purse.
As you can see, the story is difficult to distill down to a few words. I'm only half done as I write this review and already I don't want it to end. In short, Patti is an excellent storyteller and I love this book. Why? I like stories that make me feel different inside when I'm done. This is one of them.

My favorite quote from this novel: “Forgiveness (is) only the beginning of what might come next, not the end of what (has) already happened.”

This isn't my favorite of her books. Her writing is always good, but I didn't feel as though I could connect to any of the characters. It felt as though they spent more time talking about doing things instead of actually doing them and it took me away from the story a bit.

I personally think this book would have benefited from a dual timeline. Instead of Charlie's chapters, I would have loved to have seen chapters from Bronwyn's POV as she grew up. I think it would have been much better for understanding her fears and shame, making it a more emotional story. It just felt a little flat in this one. Charlie's POV didn't really do much for me other than furthering the romance and it just seemed like there was too much going in.

I'm also not sure how I feel about what happened towards the end. I believe if her mother purposely left clues, it would have been better. Or if it didn't happen at all and Clara had to really have to come to terms with losing her mother after finding something else.

There was a lot of drama to this story, but none of it really drew me in. I kept finding myself distracted and I usually didn't with her books.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

This is a story of a lost mother and a daughter trying to find her. Based on a true story, Patti Callahan Henry crafted a book of intense love between a mother and child. This book was an exquisite read, totally captivating as the words flow...with perfect character development. This is a novel that will resonate with me and one that I will buy for my two daughters. My review will appear on Goodreads and eventually Amazon. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thanks also to Ms. Henry as her books always treat me to "excellent" reading.

"The Story She Left Behind" is another amazing read by one of the best storytellers, Patti Callahan. Patti creates magic in her writing, and her characters really come to life. Based on a true story, this book has it all: family relationships, mystery, and some romance. I definitely recommend this book.

Based on the real life mystery of child prodigy author Barbara Newhall Follet, who disappeared at age 25, never to be seen or heard from again. The author seems to have taken some important details from the real person's life but also taken it in an entirely different direction. It was quite imaginative, interesting and heartfelt although I do wish the romance side story had been left out. That made it a little implausible, but this was still a good read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reading copy.

I really enjoyed this book and the characters. Loved the daughter with her yellow glasses. The relationship between the MFC and MMC was heartwarming and, for me, believable. Just made me feel good reading the book. I kept thinking about the story when at work and couldn't wait to get home to read more. Would love to read more by this author.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I was able to get an early copy of this book. After loving her previous book, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, I was excited to give this one a try. I felt the premise promised a great mystery and some excitement. However, I got that in a different way I was expecting. I forgot how quiet yet emotional Patti Callahan Henry's books are, and this was no exception.
The scenery was described in vivid hues and it made me wish I could visit in person. There was so much wonder written into the book. The characters were emotional and the love story, while it wasn't the center of the story, was well written and believable.
If you want a quiet, immersive read with some history thrown in, please give this one a try.

This was such an incredible read! Wow. There was such a wonderful mix of romance, love for her daughter, and intensity. I do not know if I can accurately depict the emotion, love, and depth this story brought to a time in history I am not super familiar with. The emotions each of the characters felt would come off the page eloquently. This book will be sticking with me for a long time.

Patti Callahan writes in such a lyrical way that consistently leaves the reader wanting more. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC inb exchange for an honest review. I will be recommending to so many people!

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry is a story about Clara whose mother Bronwyn disappeared from South Carolina when Clara was just a child. She was assumed dead. Bronwyn was considered a kid genius, writing a novel and creating her own language of words when she was just a child. She wrote a sequel to her successful debut in that language, but when she disappeared as an adult, the language was lost with her and the sequel was never able to be translated.
Clara grew up with only her father, has a child of her own and illustrates children’s books. She receives a call from a British man Charlie Jameson who has found Bronwyn’s lost language. Clara and her daughter travel across the pond to find out more and end up on quite the adventure where all of the mysteries of Bronwyn are revealed.
This was a very slow moving novel, and it was hard to keep interested. I didn’t feel the characters were deeply developed, and as a result, I didn’t care much about any of them. The end reveal of what happened to Bronwyn was a good surprise, but as a mother, I didn’t agree with her decisions at all. My favorite part about this was the in depth descriptions of the London Fog. It was so well detailed that I could actually imagine being there. But even that seemed to drag on too long. This was just too slow for me to love it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC.

In this whimsical story of a missing mother and her own made-up words, the writing sparkles. It is magical and mesmerizing. This is for everyone who loves creativity, whimsy, love and a bit of make believe. In no way can my words do this book justice. It will always be one of my all-time favorites. You must read this wondrous tale by Patti Callahan Henry.

Clara and her daughter travel to discover her mother's secret book with a language that she created.

"Forgiveness was only the beginning of what might come next, not the end of what had already happened."

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

What a lovely, touching story, one that had me wishing I could reread it as soon as I finished the last chapter.

Very few books these days have me reading a sentence over a few times because it's just so well crafted. Some passages were so beautifully written - especially the parts where the characters end up in the lake district - that I could feel the world they were describing as if I was actually there.

The story itself is very well paced. I genuinely was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't wait to read the next. There's themes of love, loss, family, forgiveness, and the bond between mothers and daughters. This was a love letter to words, writing, the importance of creating and telling stories, and how they connect us to the ones we love. The characters were so realistic and endearing that I never felt like they were only characters in a book.

Overall just a very wonderful book and a story I'll be thinking about for a while even after finishing it.

Another beautifully written story by Patti Callahan Henry. The beauty of art and language combine to tell the story of a women whose mother disappeared 25 years earlier and how that has affected her since she was a child of 8. It is 1952 and The Lake District of England is the main setting. The beauty and history of that area and the people who live there imbues a special atmosphere to the book.

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕: “In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn stunned the world with a book written in an invented language that became a national sensation when she was just twelve years old. Her departure leaves behind not only a devoted husband and heartbroken daughter, but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her landmark work. By 1952, Clara is an illustrator raising her own daughter, Wynnie. When a stranger named Charlie Jameson contacts her from London claiming to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother’s lost language. Clara is skeptical. Compelled by the tragedy of her mother’s vanishing, she crosses the Atlantic with Wynnie only to arrive during one of London’s most deadly natural disasters—the Great Smog. With asthmatic Wynnie in peril, they escape the city with Charlie and find refuge in the Jameson’s family retreat nestled in the Lake District. Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.”

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: I first fell in love with Henry’s writing when I read The Secret Life of Flora Lea. This book is beautifully written and touches on tough subjects. The FMC, Clara, has her walls up for several reasons: her ex husband is a gambler and her mom left her when she was only eight years old. On her journey to find answers regarding her mom, she finds herself falling for Charlie. Clara’s journey is filled with love, skepticism, anger, and forgiveness. Definitely recommend picking this one up when it releases on 3/18/2025.

I love the story! It was so well written and had some thing for everyone. It was very meaty and solid. This author never fails to disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

"The Story She Left Behind" is a beautifully crafted novel that explores the intricate bonds of family, the power of love, and the enduring allure of secrets. Author Patti Callahan Henry weaves an enchanting tale that captivates readers with its lyrical prose and compelling characters.

The story centers around Clara Harrington, an illustrator who, years after her mother's mysterious disappearance, embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind her family's past. As Clara delves deeper into her mother's life, she discovers the transformative power of words and the profound connection between a mother and her daughter.

Callahan Henry's vivid descriptions of the South Carolina and English Lake District settings transport readers to these enchanting locales, while her rich character development brings the story's complex relationships to life. "The Story She Left Behind" is a poignant and heartwarming exploration of love, loss, and the strength it takes to piece together a fragmented past.

Fans of emotionally resonant, family-centered narratives will be swept away by this captivating tale, which celebrates the healing power of forgiveness and the enduring bonds of family. "The Story She Left Behind" is a must-read for anyone who appreciates thought-provoking, character-driven stories that touch the heart and uplift the spirit.

I had no idea a true mystery inspired this novel! But wow, what a book, a gift! I read late into the night and more than I should have during the day. It’s that good, so beautiful! I liked the Secret Book of Flora Lea, but this one…this one is even better! I will provide a summary and then share some thoughts. In 1927, Clara was eight years old when her mother Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, the famous author, vanished without a trace. Bronwyn wrote a book when she was just twelve years old and the book became a bestseller. It included a magical made-up language of her own. Bronwyn did write a sequel but never published it. Clara’s loving and devoted father raised her but she lived with feelings of loss and abandonment.

By 1952, Clara was grown and raising her daughter Wynnie. She was an accomplished illustrator. She had been married and divorced and living at home again with her father in South Carolina. She receives a strange phone call from England from Charlie Jamison. Charlie is dealing with his father’s death and while going through his father’s belongings, he finds a journal enclosed within a leather satchel which contains a letter addressed to Clara. The letter and the journal are to be delivered to Clara in person. Clara is immediately suspicious. So many have claimed to know her mother’s whereabouts or the location of her mother’s secret dictionary of words, the key to translating her sequel. However, Clara decides to travel to London with her daughter. There they face the peril of the Great Smog of London, which almost kills Wynnie due to her asthma. Charlie helps them out of London to his mother Pippa’s cottage in the Lake District country. Clara finally begins to learn the truth about her mother and herself.

This book is such a treasure. I lived in it for two days and didn’t want to leave. I will recommend it to everyone I know. The storytelling is rich and layered and the characters have so much depth. The imagery is amazing. The detail of the landscape and the flowers, trees, etc. is breathtaking. The historical detail is on point. The relationship between mother and daughter, family, community, friends, found family - it’s all there. It’s everything I could want in a book! I want to obtain the hardcover to add to my library as soon as possible (hopefully signed)! Thank you to the Publisher Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Patti Callahan Henry again writes a novel in the most beautiful prose, a novel about love, forgiveness, the natural world and words.

I loved the story and the inspiration behind it. However, I feel like the concept would have done better as a novella. So much of the book was repetitive and meandering. A new idea needed to be added to fill out the gaps. It was also frustrating in the unrealisticness of Clara's search after she reached Cumbria. Overall, I enjoyed the book but found it could use some heavy handed editing.

Thank you netgalley for an arc.