Thank you for permitting me to read this book. I was already a fan of Patti Callahan Henry's writing prior to reading The Story She Left Behind, and this newest title did not disappoint. Beautifully written, this story of a young mother seeking to understand her absent mother and to determine whether she is dead or alive, is alive with vibrant characters, mostly helpful and benevolent ones, who help her to unravel the mystery and find peace for herself and her family. Well drawn, with settings in coastal South Carolina, London and rural England, the story and setting have the makings of a classic work of fiction to be enjoyed by real readers for many generations.

This was well-written and charming.
While my initial interest in reading the book was the mystery, what kept me interested was the comforting environment created by the characters’ warmth. Charlie and his family were incredibly charming and added to the narrative as did the Cumbrian setting.
The mystery surrounding Bronwyn’s disappearance felt more striking than the answer to her disappearance, however, this did not detract from my enjoyment as the answer reflected humanity.
I would definitely recommend this for readers who like literary and comforting tales.

Inspired by real events, this story is part historical, part fiction and an abundance of fairytale dust. Abandoned by her mother Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham when she was eight years old, Clara Harrington has carried the heartache of this loss into adulthood. Both women had an artistic flare, Bronwyn as a child prodigy author who created a unique language for her story and Clara as a Caldecott Award winner illustrator. Twenty-five years after the disappearance of her mother, Clara receives a phone call from Charles Jameson in London that a long lost satchel of Bronwyn’s has been discovered containing a letter for Clara. With her own precocious eight year old daughter in tow, Clara heads off across the Atlantic in search of discovering the answers to Bronwyn’s disappearance.

In her lyrical, descriptive prose, Ms. Callahan takes the reader on an emotional journey through the beautiful English countryside as Clara comes to terms with her past, present and future. Be sure to read the Author’s Note to learn how the idea of this story came to be.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Patti Callahan Henry for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this imaginative and lovely story in exchange for my honest opinion. Publication date: March 18, 2025

A heartwarming story only Patti Callahan Henry can write! With unforgettable characters, she weaves a novel of a daughter, who lost her mother, searching for answers to complete a sequel to a novel written by her mother when she was 12 years old. I loved this book! Thanks for the advanced copy.

This enchanting and lyrical novel of Patti Callahan Henry’s will stay with her loyal readers. Starting in the small sleepy town of Bluffton South Carolina, we learn some of its secrets and how they affect a family and the town. The family dynamics are palatable. The story then takes a mom and her daughter on a journey to England to find out what happened to a family member. The descriptive prose of the setting in London and the countryside is gorgeous. The culmination of the story is v satisfying which I expect from her novels. Her loyal readers willlove it!

Child prodigies, missing mothers, single mothers, finding love, never loosing love, secret languages it’s all in this book. It is hard for me to read books about mothers who leave even if they have a reason. I didn’t feel a connection to any other characters of this book although Wynnie was definitely my favorite!! I loved the idea of finding new words to describe feelings and wish there were more of this in this story- maybe less fog. After reading the Secret Book of Flora Lee, I was eager to the read this book by Patti Callahan Henry. I was pleasantly surprised when I was given an e-book ARC from Simon & Schuster.

Patti Callahan Henry has done it again, taking us on a beautiful journey weaving history with her imaginative stories.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another incredible read from PCH!
A unique, intriguing story where you once again feel like you are standing next to these characters as they unravel this story.
I don't want to give anything away, but this book is a wonderful journey of forgiveness, redemption, and love.

I couldn't have been more pleased to be selected to receive this ARC and am so appreciative to PCH, Atria and NetGalley!

I have long been a fan of her writing for over 10 years and this book is no exception. Henry has the ability to weave together the mystical and real to create engaging stories that people love . This book is just as good and keeps you reading. It’s the kind of book you tell others about.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

What an intriguing and interesting book. It's like nothing I've ever read before. This author did a great job combing the mystical with the harsh realities of loss and forgiveness. Very delightful read.
I was provided a copy of this book for review but all my opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the Secret Book of Flora Lea and was hopeful that this one would take me back to that kind of feeling. Unfortunately, I didn't feel a strong connection to the plot or the characters here and the spare 50's style writing felt a little flat to me. This one was a bit of a miss for me.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive an ARC of Patti’s newest novel. She has become an auto-read for me and this newest book definitely did not disappoint!

Clara’s mother Bronwyn infamously disappeared when she was 8 yrs old after a devastating event. Her mother was a famous author, having written a popular book when she was 12 yrs old. The world was obsessed with getting a sequel but after Bronwyn’s disappearance, that hope was lost.

25 years later, Clara’s undying hope of someday finding her mother has reignited after a man in England called her because he found her lost dictionary of her made up words in his late father’s diary. Clara takes a chance on her hope and brings her 8 yr old daughter Wynnie to England to chase the dream of finding more info about her mother.

I don’t want to give anymore away because it’s such a beautiful story. I love how Patti’s incorporates historical events and beloved authors in her stories. I never heard about the Great Fog until I watched an episode of The Crown about it. Patti did a wonderful job weaving that into Clara’s story. Once they were safe in the countryside, I couldn’t put the book down. I wanted to live in those pages. Every description was just beautiful. Makes me want to visit! I love how she included the true bits about Beatrix Potter and made it feel so personalized.
The character development was lovely, although I don’t really think Nat was necessary to include. It was weird how he was so adamant about Wynnie not going to England but then suddenly she can’t get a hold of him the entire time she was there? I understand the divorced storyline, but I felt like that could have easily been told and not given the Nat character the weird excuses he gave at the end of the book. Just seemed a bit rushed or off to me.

But truly though, this story is so wonderful and the theme of forgiveness and unconditional love and childhood trauma is weaved so beautifully.

Here is a beautiful quote from the book:

“ was wrong about forgiveness. I’d thought it a lion that might roar to life from the far corners, but it was quieter than that, much quieter. Forgiveness is a whisper of possibility, of openness. It is an act of restoration, an act of healing, an act of empathy.

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



HIGHLY recommend The Story She Left Behind! Well done once again, Patti!!

5 huge stars for The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry. Historical fiction!
My gosh this novel knocked me out of a reading rut and transported me away to the lovely Lake District in England. With intrigue, mystery, heartache, family ties, and romance this story is incredible!
From the South Carolina coast waters to the smoggy streets of London a phone call reignites a search for clues for Clara's author prodigy mother who went missing 25yrs ago. Clara and her daughter Wynnie find themselves in London during a rare weather event that locked in burning coal emissions and threatens the life of Wynnie who suffers from asthma. Their journey, those they meet along the way, and the search for the truth keeps the reader fully engaged.
I know reviewers often say we devoured a novel, and I lack for a better way to say it, I devoured this novel!
Classic Patti Callahan Henry with her phenomenal storytelling and even better writing style. I will read everything she publishes!
Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read the arc. I will post on my social bookstagram account books.before.sleep

4.5 stars

This book captivated me from the start and was so beautifully written. I had trouble putting it down, wanting to find out where the story was leading. I’m so thankful for the advanced copy!

This is a beautiful and captivating story based on a real life literary mystery. As a child prodigy, Bronwyn published her first novel at just 12 years old. She eventually pens the sequel the world has been clamoring for but she writes it in her own language. When she disappears many years later, leaving behind her family, she takes the dictionary, and the only way to translate the novel, with her when she goes. Twenty five years later new clues turn up sending Bronwyn's now adult daughter across the ocean in search of the missing dictionary and any clues about her mother's disappearance. This book is about so much more though and is absolutely another must-read from Patti Callahan Henry!

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book set in the 1950s South Carolina and England. It was very interesting to learn about Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham,. I also enjoyed the mentions later of Beatrix Potter.
The story is very compelling and kept me pushing forward to find out what happened. Writing is clear and easy to follow.
My only complaint was that the main character does end up sleeping with her romantic interest, which to me would not be consistent with the 50's time period, especially with how quickly they proceeded to that action. I found that to be much more modern behavior.

I loved Patti Callahan Henry’s last book, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of her latest novel. This contains the same whimsical feelings, but just didn’t seem to work as well for me for some reason. Some elements seemed too far-fetched, and the insta-love between the main character and Charlie just happened too….instantly. There were parts that I really enjoyed and the writing is lovely. Overall the book was well written and enjoyable, but it just wasn’t a favorite. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I wanted to love this book but I just didn’t. Patti’s writing is so beautiful, it’s hard not to love it but the story was so flat. There were characters that felt completely unnecessary, plot that felt so dramatic yet also so drab at the same time and altogether just a completely unrealistic resolution. I felt really disappointed at the lack of emotion and feeling as things came together. The author has a way with words and I could see myself in the setting but the story was just so flat. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced ebook copy.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry weaves a remarkable story of a child prodigy, Bronwyn, who wrote a book at the age of 12. Later in her life after marriage and a daughter, she vanishes leaving her daughter Clara motherless. Then 25 years later, Clara receives a call from London from a man stating that he's found lost papers that belonged to her mother and an addressed letter to be given to Clara only. With some reservation, Clara sets off to London with her own 8 year old daughter to retrieve them and see if they are really from her long lost mother.
This is a beautifully written story of finding a lost family, feeling accepted and forgiveness. The author writes so lyrically and full of description.
I found the Author's Note fascinating that details the mystery of a child prodigy in 1914 and the made up language and the details of her own disappearance that gives breathe to the creation of this book.
I am in love with this remarkable story and I adored the Beatrix Potter history.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher, Atria Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Patti Calahhan Henry has penned another lyrical, mystical book regarding a daughter searching for her mother in the 1950s. I loved this novel and the setting of SC, London (the great fog) and then Cumbria in England. The characters Wynnie, Clara and Charlie captured my heart. Henry's magical writing style is absorbing how she describes the natural outdoors and connects the love of writing and words to nature. I enjoyed that characters from her previous novels made an appearance as well. I quickly absorbed this novel about Clara trying to find her missing mom Bronwyn after 25 years and trying to find her lost dictionary of the language she created. My words cannot describe how emotionally impactful this novel is: it’s about abandonment, forgiveness and the creative language that describes our true essence. Henry’s novels are better with each one she writes and I can’t recommend this novel enough. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an Arc!