As a true Henry novel- the writing was so beautiful.

There is a line that describes forgiveness near the end chapters that I need to write down because it was so stunning.

This is a story based on a true story about a child prodigy in the early 1900s who wrote a book when she was 8 (published at age 12) and then later disappeared. Henry tweaks this true account to where the long lost author has a daughter (Clara) who grows up not knowing what happened to her mom. Years later (now in the 1950s) she gets a phone call from a man named Charlie, who finds documents with Clara's name presumably from her missing mother. Clara and her daughter Wynnie take a boat to England where they examine the documents but get caught up in The Great Smog of London. Overall it is a beautiful story about forgiveness and found family.

The story overall was good, but it didn't captivate me nearly as much as her other works (Which is okay! We don't always love every track on an album and I consider books by authors to be the same- I won't love everyone and that is okay!) I found the story and "magicalness" a bit far fetched and I had issues with some of the character development. But, this story is a very fun "what if?" to the true story it was based on.

I think readers who are wanting a snapshot of life in England during the Great Smog, interested in the treatment of women's mental health at the turn of the century, have a love of Beatrice Potter (I promise it relates), etc.

Content: fade to black, abandonment

This story is about Clara Harrington and her mother, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham- who was a renowned child prodigy that wrote a book about a secret language. She and her mom are very close and one day her mom just disappears into the night with her satchel containing the sequel to her book and is presumed dead. After 25 years, she receives a call from Charlie Jameson, a man living in London, who tells her that he has her mother's satchel and inside are the lost pages to her mother's book that he found in his father's library. Along with the lost pages, there is a note in her satchel with Clara's name on it. He tells her that his father's dying wish was for her to come to London to retrieve the lost pages in person; he can not send them to her. Having not lost hope to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance, she and her daughter Wynnie- named for her mother, make the long journey to London.

In 1952, London suffered the Great Smog and the journey proves difficult for young Wynnie, who suffers from severe asthma. With the lost pages in hand and the letter that was in fact from Clara's mother, they all escape the peril in London and head to Charlie's country house to find clean air and ultimately unearth his family's secrets. Throughout their time together, they piece together the puzzle of how they are coincidentally connected to one another in ways that didn't seem possible. Charlie's family's estate feels new, yet familiar to both Clara and Wynnie and they need to figure out why.

This was a beautiful story about loss and the journey to find all the facets of love that exist, told in Patti Callahan's lyrical prose.

Special thanks to NetGallery for an advanced copy of this book and to Atria Books for allowing me the opportunity to review it.

In 1927, When Clara Harrington was 8 years old, her mother disappeared off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham was an author renowned for the book she wrote when she was 12 years old. The follow-up to the book, written in her mother's made-up language, sat untranslated because the dictionary disappeared along with Bronwyn.

Now in 1952, Clara is a mother and illustrator. She is contacted by Charlie Johnson in London, who claims to have a handwritten dictionary in her mother's lost language. Clara must travel to London to retrieve the dictionary and finally get some answers.

She travels with her asthmatic daughter by boat only to arrive at the start of The Great Smog.

Why Jackie loves it

This book was more than I could have hoped for. It was absolutely captivating from the first word to the last. I listened and read this book at the same time because I could not get enough. I loved the story, but loved it even more when I found out that Bronwyn was based on the life and disappearance of Barbara Newhall Follett. There are also references to Beatrix Potter. This book is a must for any book lover. It reads like a love letter to language.

Hands down one of the best books I have read in years. I wanted to take my time with this book, but also devour it. An absolute gem of a book that I want to buy for all of my friends and family. A huge thank you to NetGalley for the advanced read!

I loved this book. The mystery, the history, the characters!!! It was a great book about how a single action has repercussions for years! Sometimes when you think you are doing the right thing, it hurts the person you are trying to protect the most. There is s great twist and the end of this book that I did not see coming.

Thank you so much to Simon and Shister and Net Galley for this advanced readers copy!

I really enjoyed this book so much! The mystery in this story and book truly kept me on my toes and guessing!! The characters were really well written and I could have kept reading this book even as it came to an end. The location this book is set in, the Lake District in England was beautiful and so picturesque. I love the bits of magic that Patti weaves into the story!

I thought it was really neat too how this book was inspired by a real person, Barbara Newhall Follet.

I think readers that enjoy historical mysteries will really enjoy this book a lot and the authors storytelling! This is my second book by this author and I look forward to reading more of her novels as well!

Clara is an illustrator with an 8 year old daughter Wynnie. (Wynnie is a great character.) Clara's mother wrote a story, she disappeared shortly after a house fire when Clara was about Wynnie's age. But Clara's mother left behind the sequel ... in the language she created. Fast forward several decades and the key to the secret language (and a letter to Clara) is found in the UK and she needs to retrieve it in person. 

Really enjoyable. Also set in 1952 when London had a crazy natural disaster. 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.

Partial review from about 25% ... The Story She Left Behind, but sometimes I like to post partial reviews as I'm reading (and its my post so I'm doing this one this way). The Story She Left Behind definitely has vibes similar to The Secret Book of Flora Lea (also by Patti Callahan Henry). I know that a LOT of readers loved The Secret Book of Flora Lea, so I'm predicting that they will love The Story She Left Behind as well. But I wasn't completely taken with Flora Lea and gave it 4 stars. I'm liking The Story She Left Behind much more than I liked Flora Lea.

(The Story She Left Behind did take some twists and turns that left me scratching my head, but all in all, very enjoyable.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for approving my request to read the advance read copy of The Story She Left Behind in exchange for an honest review. 352 pages, publication date of March 18, 2025.

Clara leaves Bluffton SC to go to London for her mother’s literary works that were found by a wealthy family. Clara’s mother disappeared 20 years before so Clara is eager to discover what may have happened. The 1952 Great Smog in London sends Clara and her daughter Wynnie to the country. There is romance and a good ending but the story moved slowly and the book was too long.

In 1927, Claras mother disappears. Her mother had written a very famous novel at the age of just 14, and created her own language in the process. She left behind a second novel, but no way for Clara or her father to decipher it. In 1952, Clara is living with her daughter when she gets a surprising call from London. He claims he has the lost dictionary of her mother’s language. Clara and her daughter embark on a journey to find what Clara has been missing for so many years.

I did this one on audio and it was just so well done! I enjoyed every second of this story and found myself shocked with some of the things that happened! I felt like I was traveling London with Clara and her daughter, and I was so engaged in the story and finding out what had happened to Clara’s mom. This was such a beautifully written book, I highly recommend picking it up!

"The Story She Left Behind" reminded me why I love reading historical fiction. In this book, we have our FMC Clara, whose mother Bronwyn --- a famous writer --- leaves when Clara is just a young girl. Fast forward 20+ years to the 1950s, and some of Bronwyn's papers and writings are discovered by a strange man in London, sending Clara and her young daughter on a whirlwind, international trip to discover what happened to Bronwyn and how this man and his family are connected to Clara's. Set during the great smog of 1952, Clara and her daughter are forced to shelter with the man's family at their country estate, and while they are there, puzzle pieces regarding Bronwyn's disappearance start falling into place.

You've got a mystery to unravel, characters to root for, plus Callahan Henry's lyrical writing style. Nothing more I need. And while I love a historical fiction book set during WWII, I enjoyed reading about a slightly different time in history.

I have "The Secret Book of Flora Lee" on my shelf, and I think this just inspired me to finally pick it up.

Thanks, NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with this advanced copy of "The Story She Left Behind" by Patti Callahan Henry.

When Clara was 8 her mother Bronwyn, a famous author, disappeared from her life and changed her world forever. In her first novel, Bronwyn had created an imaginary land and language that spoke to many. Fast forward to Clara as a mother, an illustrator about to win a Caldecott and newly divorced when she gets a call from a man named Charlie who she's never met before and who lives in England. Charlie has found her mother's lost dictionary - what Clara needs to translate the sequel that her mother left behind. Clara and her daughter sail to England to acquire the papers and end up getting stuck in the Great Smog. Charlie removes them from London to his family home in the country and Clara feels a sense of peace and an odd familiarity there. Clara and Charlie work together to uncover the mystery of her mother's disappearance.

Callahan is quickly becoming a go-to author for me, I loved this book - the characters, the dash of magical realism as well as the story. It was a pleasure going on the journey with Clara and Charlie as they discovered secrets of their respective pasts while they tried to solve the mystery of Bronwyn’s disappearance. The audio to this one was wonderful and I probably read half and listened to half; the audio had two narrators, one for Clara and one for Charlie and I think it added such a nice element to the listen. This novel was the perfect escape I was looking for when nothing was really resonating with me.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I love Patti Henry's vividly rich and detailed descriptions! They transported me straight to the UK as I was reading this. My interest was so piqued that I had to google The Great Smog of London- I love it when a book does that.
My only complaint is that some events that were part of the big reveal towards the end didn't quite add up to me. I didn't think Bronwyn's reason for leaving was sufficient. Otherwise, this would have been a five star read for me.

I finished this book a few days ago and I had to think hard about what to rate it (I settled on 2 stars) and what to say. While I enjoyed the plot, the characters were really dull for me. I really disliked Clara - I feel like she was supposed to be ahead of her time, but she came off boring and "woe is me". I wish Bronwyn stayed missing - her reason for leaving was so disappointing. Not everyone needs to have a happy ending. Charlie - ugh - enough said.

The book was overly wordy - and even though the chapters were short, they felt long for me. I pushed myself through this one. And I always am hoping for her next "Surviving Savannah" - that has been my favorite book by her so far but her last two, while not horrible, just did not do it for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. I am not a reviewer who will retell the plot, just my feelings towards the book as the reader can look up the plot themselves.

I enjoyed this book, but honestly felt like very little happened! It flowed beautifully, the characters were well developed. I liked the history and the descriptions were incredible. However, I think that the story itself could have been half the length and we would have not missed anything. Although beautifully written, much of the book is descriptions and not some much drama, action, something new. The dual timeline was seamless and incredibly well done. A charming story about the magic of words, love and family. I just walked away feeling as if very little happened, leaving me very uninvested in the book. If you are looking for beautiful and descriptive writing, try this one.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Since Becoming Mrs. Lewis and The Secret Book of Flora Lea became favorites I will not pass up the chance to read a Patti Callahan Henry novel! This will join the list of those I highly recommend. I knew when I saw that cover I would love the settings of London, The Lake District and South Carolina, which all have my heart. This tale of love and sorrow and past secrets and discoveries wrapped up in a literary mystery kept my attention throughout. The characters were well-developed...and just Henry's turn of phrase and way with words wrapped me up and had me invested to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

From the author of The Secret of Flora Lee, this gorgeous story hooked me right from the start and is a perfect combination of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. Set in the 1950s, you get a peek at life in South Carolina, London, and the Lakes District, England, while weaving together mother/daughter relationships, post-war England, motherhood, mental health, Gaelic music, illustrating, and writing (including Beatrix Potter chatter). If you are a fan of historical fiction, put this on your TBR list, you won't regret it!

What an awesome genre-bending story! I was pulled in quickly and couldn’t put it down. Fantastic read that I definitely recommend!

In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears in the night. Clara is now an adult with her own daughter, Wynnie. Clara works as an art teacher and an illustrator of children’s books. She gets a call from London that some of her mother’s papers were found in a wealthy man’s library. Clara is desperate for information about her mother and takes Wynnie to London. When they get there, they pick up the papers, but are trapped in their rented apartment, as the smog is so thick. Wynnie suffers from asthma, so she can’t go far in this weather. Charlie Jameson, who found the papers, offers to take them to the Lake District to get out of the smog of London. While there, more questions are answered about Bronwyn. Also, Charlie’s family is very welcoming. While I liked all the characters, except Bronwyn, they seemed a bit flat. Also, the pacing of this book is very slow. In my opinion, this book had an interesting premise, but poor execution.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC.

This is such a magical and emotional story. Beautifully written by the author with the most likable characters. Inspired by true events, Clara is doing her best to balance motherhood and draw for a children’s book. She gets a phone call that changes her life. Something of her mother’s, a child prodigy author, who disappeared from Clara’s life 25 years ago was found. Clara thinks it’s a joke. How could a random man in Europe have a dictionary of her mother’s created language. Who is this person? With the encouragement of her endearing, young daughter Wynnie, the two set off for a life changing journey that will give them more then just the answers of what happened to her mother, but a true testament to what a life falling fate is all about

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️💫

Clara is a single mother raising her precocious 8 year old daughter Wynnie in a small idyllic seaside town in South Carolina. She is also a teacher and an award winning children’s book illustrator. Clara has grown accustomed to wagging tongues as a divorced single mother. But withstanding judgment isn’t new, after all, she is the daughter of the infamous Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, best remembered as a child author, and for her mysterious disappearance when Clara was a child. When Clara receives an overseas call, informing her that a dictionary of her mother’s “lost words” has been discovered with a note instructing her to come and retrieve the item, her life takes a turn she never expected. Clara’s hopes of ever reading the sequel to her mother’s famous children’s book died when her mother vanished. Could this be the key to translating the book her mother left in her safekeeping? More importantly, will she finally discover the reason for her mother’s disappearance, or find clues explaining where she’s been?

Callahan weaves her storied magic once again in The Story She Left Behind, a historical fiction which crosses the Atlantic to London during the tragic Great Fog of 1952. It’s a story about motherhood, longing, grief, the legacies which mark us for life, redemption, and the power of story and imagination. This would be a perfect book for readers looking for lyrical prose with a sprinkle of magical realism, or a family drama steeped in mystery.


Many thanks to the author @PattiCHenry, @SimonAndSchuster, and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.