A historical fiction/mystery with a bit of fantasy about a woman searching for the last remnants of a mother who left her as a child, “The Story She Left Behind” intertwines vibrant landscapes with beautiful prose to present a story that was lovely to read.

I was initially drawn to this story not because of the plot, but the backdrop of London during the great fog and the countryside of the 1950s, but was happy with the story that enfolded there. All of the characters have a brightness to them that make them easy to love. PCH’s writing is abolsutely beautiful…the words she uses to describe a situation and the dialogue of the characters make the reader think they’ve been transported back to 1952. The way she describes the richness of the countryside made me want to pack my bag and move there right now. This story plays on mystery, not on drama, so the angst is within the question of what happened to Brownwyn vs. other issues within the characters…something that I was perfectly ok with but might not be for everyone. The only other criticism I might have for this story is that it dragged a bit towards the end….once we got answers to most of the questions, the story felt completed but continued on maybe longer than it needed. I also wish something more came of Moira and why she was in the study, but that might just be me.

Overall, this is an enchanting book that will will envelop the reader in their world with a charming story to boot.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I appreciate the opportunity to review this lovely book!!**

Renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham disappears off the coast of South Carolina in 1927 leaving her eight year old daughter Clara Harrington’s enchanted childhood to be no more. Bronwyn shocked the world with her book written in her made up language. It became a national sensation when she was only twelve years of age. Her devoted husband and heartbroken daughter were not only left behind but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her original work. Clara yearns for something deeper than the national headlines of the missing author it was the love of her mother.

Clara is now an illustrator in 1952 raising her own daughter, Wynnie. The handwritten dictionary of the mother’s lost language was discovered by Charlie Jameson from London which he then contacted Clara. She is leery but travels across the Atlantic with Wynnie during London’s most deadliest natural disaster- the Great Smog. Wynnie’s in great risk being asthmatic. Charlie helps them escape the city taking them to the Jameson retreat in the countryside the Lake District. Clara must find the truth there about her mother and the secrets of the story she left behind.

There are not enough words to express how good this book is! It’s tremendously captivating and extraordinary! So well written! Love Wynnie’s story line. It’s fantastic! This is the first book that I have read/listened to by this author and I can’t express how this is the best book and audiobook that I have read/listened to this year. Patti Callahan Henry has out done herself! Superb! Definitely will be reading/listening to more of her work!

Julia Whelan, narrator builds to a crescendo in a part of the book. My heart was racing as she was talking. She was stupendous in her delivery! Narration of Wynnie’s voice is so adorable. Julia’s extremely talented as making her voice sound like a little girl of eight years old! She brings the story to life! The male narrator’s voice brings to life the British accent and makes it very English as the voice of Charlie.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in providing me with this and allowing me to leave an honest review.

A missing mother, an adventure across the pond, a tiny touch of magical realism, and a bit of a romance - this sweet story will absolutely charm readers that love books about books.

A missing mother, a mysterious book, and a daughter's search for answers. This story of family, choices, grief, and hope captivated me from the beginning and held my heart until the last page. Once again Patti Callahan Henry has delivered a beautifully written historical fiction novel with richly drawn characters sharing a deep connection over time. Could it be that the most wonderful thing in the bookish universe is a consistent author that can deliver impactful stories with well-developed characters over and over again?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review.

Captivating and magical, I could not put down this novel based on a true literary mystery. When Clara gets a call from a man in London that a satchel was found with notes and papers addressed to Clara, who lives in South Carolina, she hopes the mystery of her mother’s disappearance will be revealed. Brownwyn Harrington authored a best selling children’s book at eight years old, but her complicated upbringing contributed to the decisions she made as Clara’s mother. The search for answers in Cumbria, the river district in England, is described with such detail of the atmosphere that I wanted to enter the pages of the book and live there. Beautifully written, emotional and atmospheric,I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m happy for the author, the publisher and the readers who found so much gratification in reading this rendering of a story very loosely inspired by an actual historical event.
Many readers here enjoyed the “lush”, “lyrical”, “mysterious”, “atmospheric” etc. language used by the author. Two pages in, I was already choking on the purple prose. (Why use one really apt adjective when you can use three cloying multi-syllabic ones?) But, clearly from the popular vote here, that’s just my taste.
Then there were the anachronistic mistakes. In the 1950’s, no one talked about their “skill set.”
A strangely-plotted, crocheted doily of a book. Many others will disagree with my review, and already have!.
Sharing this honest review with my thanks to the publisher, and will not be sharing it online. Why spoil everyone else's fun?

I loved everything about this book! The use of language was truly magical and passed down through 3 generations of women from the late 1920’s and into the 1950’s. My favorite stories include those that deal with female relationships between mothers and daughters. Clara’s feelings for her mother are complex since she was abandoned at age 8.

I particularly enjoyed the journey of Clara and her daughter to London during the infamous fog that killed 12,000 people. Placing fictional characters during a past event in history really transport me to what that must have felt like. Frightening, in this case as well as informative.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book.

Patti’s writing is so beautiful and it’s a real pleasure to read her books. I loved the story, the mystery, the setting, and the relationships. Such a great book and highly recommend.

This was a lovely book with a dual timeline and a fun historical setting… Didn’t realize it was based on a somewhat true story until the end. This book felt a little bit magical and I definitely could tell it was written by the same author as the Flora Lea book. Julia Whalen killed the narration, per usual, and the story moved at a good clip even though this book was a little bit on the longer side. Enjoyed this one very much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for eARC (and the library for an audio copy after publication day, my review is a little late) in exchange for an honest review!

Patti Callahan Henry always does such a tremendous job of building a lovely and evocative piece of fiction around a person or event in literary history.

This one is more of a mystery than her C.S. Lewis books, and while those remain my favorite, this is both a more creative endeavor and also a far easier read emotionally (becoming Mrs. Lewis was wonderful, but a ROUGH go).

I suppose I would recommend reading The House Without Windows by Barbara Newhall Follett before reading this, as that is the book and the author that this story orbits. That said, it’s not necessary to do so to enjoy or understand this, and the author has given us a plausible ending to a mystery that has never been solved.

But like Callahan Henry’s other books, so much of the loveliness of this is in the telling, and in the gorgeously rendered sense of time and place. I didn’t love the protagonist, but she is well drawn and right for the story.

In all, a good choice if you like literary or historical mysteries (especially those based on real world events), as well as if you love a feel-good read that is sharper and better written than most of its kind.

The Story She Left Behind by @pattichenry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A brand new, beautifully written story by an author I have come to love. It’s based around a true literary mystery that was never solved, but also contains fictionalized elements that simply round out the story in a way you don’t expect. I didn’t want to put it down. Bonus - it’s partially set in South Carolina.

I received an ARC ebook from @netgalley, @atriabooks, and the author herself in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Additionally, I read this alongside the audiobook that was published recently on Libby. 10/10 recommend.
#netgalley #bookstagram #goodreads #literarypearlsof25 #thestorysheleftbehind #historicalfiction #britishlit

A book about a book/writers/illustrators is a book lover's dream. The characters are likable, the setting is charming, the story is enchanting and captivating, and Beatrix Potter and her home find a place in this book. Family, mystery, a child prodigy, forgiveness, love, a touch of romance. This book pulled me in from the very beginning and kept me coming back, had me thinking about it when I was away from my reading. 4.5 ⭐s.

“The Story She Left Behind” is an absolutely stunning story about mothers and daughters, fresh starts, and finding (and rediscovering) love.

You’re going to want to add this to your list if you love historical fiction, family dramas, and beautiful love stories.

In 1927 when Clara Harrington was eight years old, her mother Bronwyn, a renowned author, disappeared. Twenty-five years later, Clara, who is now a mother and illustrator, receives a phone call from a man named Charlie Jameson in London who has found a letter addressed to her and a dictionary of her mother’s created language in his late father’s library. Clara and her daughter, Wynnie, embark on a journey across the sea, arriving in London to a terrible smog that drives them to Charlie’s mother’s home in the countryside as they try to unravel the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance and connection to the Jameson family.

This was an incredible novel, tying together historical fiction and literary mystery for a compelling read! I appreciated the author’s note at the end explaining the inspiration behind the book, the true story of child-prodigy author Barbara Newhall Follet. The book is extensively researched, and the author creatively ties history, such as the Great Smog of London of December 1952, into a beautifully crafted fictional story. Overall, I loved this book, and I think it will appeal to a wide range of readers!

MEMORABLE QUOTE: “I believe we’ve all wondered about living different lives, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love the one we have. We are given one finite life, and the alternates fade when we don’t choose them. But…that doesn’t mean we don’t wonder.”

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my gifted physical ARC + e-ARC, as well as a finished copy of the novel!

Absolutely beautiful! In true Patti Callahan Henry format, The Story She Left Behind is a love letter to literatire. It's lyrical and poetic. I could see myself on the coast of South Carolina and in the Lake District of England. Clara was a daughter searching for answers to her mother's mysterious disappearance, all while trying to be a present mother to her sweet little girl, Wynni. With the help of newfound British friend, Charlie, Clara and Wynni unlock the mystical language Clara's mother was well known for writing about years prior. But with this discovery, what else they discover gives them the best surprise of all!

This is the first book I have read by the author. I have to admit it took a while to get into it. Once I did I started enjoying it. I loved Wynnie. I thought she was adorable. I look forward to read more books b y this author.. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

Trigger Warnings: Graphic: Abandonment, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Mental illness

This is my first book by Patti Callahan Henry and it won't be my last. I went into this book blind and I loved the story, the characters and the setting.

I intended to read this book with my eyes but I heard Julia Whelan (an incredible audiobook narrator) told the story, I know I had to listen to it. I love this sub genre of literary mystery where I was so invested in the story, characters and plot that the mystery is more than a 'who-done-it.' I am so impressed with the way the author can write such a compelling story along with emotional depth and characters that I don't want to leave. I want to learn more about this time period so I can read more books like this. If I would have been reading the physical copy, I would have highlighted or underlines so many lines in this book. Lastly, the way Callahan Henry writes settings is beyond me and I felt like I was actually there!

Read this book if you like:
-women's fiction
-literary mystery
-books about books
-some romance
-dual timelines
-mother/daughter stories
-historical fiction books

The Story She Left Behind follows a mother and daughter to England in the 1950s when someone finds documents belonging to the grandmother that went missing in the 1920s. This novel is a historical mystery filled with magic and whimsy and strong themes of family relationships. I enjoyed this even more than The Secret Book of Flora Lee and look forward to future novels by Patti Callahan Henry.

I received an ARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another delightful novel from Patti Callahan Henry! This book follows Clara on a journey to unravel the mysteries of her mother's life.

Clara's mother, Bronwyn was a child prodigy author of a beloved children's book and disappeared when Clara turned 8, leaving her with the highly anticipated sequel written in a private language Clara cant read. When Clara's mother's dictionary of her secret language shows up in a private library in London over 20 years later, Clara takes her own daughter Winnie to chase down the mystery of what happened to her mother.

This is a beautiful novel with a mystery at its center and themes of motherhood, autonomy and resilience, and the struggles of being different than others around you. I loved the part of the story that dealt with the great smog in London, it brought excitement and drama and revealed more of Clara and Charlies characters. I also liked the themes of love and finding love that emerged.

What a beautiful book! Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham was a child prodigy who created her own language and published a wildly popular, mystical novel when she was 12 years old. Bronwyn, disappeared 25 years ago, when her daughter Clara was 8 years old. Now divorced and mother to an 8 year old daughter of her own, Clara Harrington is an artist and has recently been named a Caldecott Medal winner. When she receives a phone call from England from a man named Charles Jameson who found some of Bronwyn’s papers in his recently deceased father’s study, Clara and her daughter Winnie rush to London, Clara hoping to learn something of her mother’s fate. When London is enveloped in a toxic smog, Clara and Winnie end up in the Lake District at Charlie’s family’s home, where Clara and Winnie feel like everything is familiar. Enchanting and mystical, The Story She Left Behind is a rich, poetic story of love, belonging, and imagination.