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.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry is a captivating and heartbreaking novel about an illustrator in Bluffton, South Carolina whose mother disappeared 25 years ago when she was 8 years old. She has been living again with her Dad who raised her since she lost her home when her ex-husband gambled it away.

It’s 1952. Clara Harrington, who is now a divorced art teacher with her own 8-year-old daughter, Winnie, and has just received the Caldecott Award for her illustrations of a hedgehog in a children’s book, receives a phone call from a man named Charlie Jameson in London, England, who says he has found her mother’s briefcase.

Inside is a sealed letter to her and a note that she must retrieve it in person.
She agonizes over the decision because she’s not sure it’s really her mother’s briefcase but the description matches a photo she finds. Clara finally purchases tickets on an ocean liner for herself and her daughter to go to England to retrieve the briefcase which contains pages of her mother’s lost invented language. It would help her write the sequel to her mother’s book which the world has been waiting for.

But Clara has to be careful and pack Winnie’s medicine because Winnie has asthma. And that turns out to be a problem because London turns out to have a worse than usual fog/smog problem and the air is tinged green and thicker than pea soup. Winnie has one asthma attack and Charlie helps by calling his doctor who suggests getting her away from the smog.

Charlie suggests driving them to the Lake District and with no other choice they go. It’s definitely difficult but they make it out of London getting lost on back roads. They pick up a hitchhiker who promises to give them directions and does but when she leaves the car she steals Clara’s briefcase and purse with her passport and return ship ticket and wallet.

Clara and Charlie run after her and she drops the briefcase but gets away with the purse. The briefcase falls in the river and all the papers fall out. Charlie and Clara try to save them and Clara almost drowns. He saves her and gives her dry clothes from his suitcase. She falls asleep and they drive the rest of the way.

When they arrive, a doctor is there because Charlie has called ahead and the doctor examines Clara and Winnie and prescribes rest for both and everyone goes to bed.

A few days later Clara and Winnie feel better and Charlie tells Clara to borrow his sister-in-law Adelaide’s clothes.

Then Adelaide and his brother Archie come from London and bring Clara and Winnie’s suitcases. Archie thinks Charlie is besotted with Clara.

Meanwhile Clara gets to know Charlie’s mother Pippa and Clara and Charlie try to figure out why her mother’s briefcase was in his late father’s library.

The plot continues to thicken when she discovers the author of the hedgehog book she illustrated lives there in the winter and a play based on her mother’s book is put on in the local theater every winter and they go to see it.

Clara begins to have feelings for Charlie.

Is her mother still alive? Will Clara find her?

Will Clara and Charlie find love?

This incredible and beautifully written story has elements of real life dramas in it and it’s a novel you will definitely enjoy.

I’ve always loved Patti Callahan Henry’s books, so I couldn’t wait to dive into THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND. It didn’t disappoint! The blend of mystery, family secrets, and rich historical detail completely drew me in. I especially enjoyed how the story unraveled through Clara’s journey and how Henry tied the pieces of the mystery together so beautifully. The emotional depth and the themes of loss, love, and legacy made it hard to put down. It’s another stunning, heartfelt novel from an author who never fails to enchant me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I loved "The Story She Left Behind" almost as much as the "Secret Book of Flora Lee". It was a delightful historical fiction and mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Patti Callahan Henry delivers a fascinating and well written historical fiction novel with The Story She Left Behind. This book is sweeping and historically beautiful delivering a story of family, love and literature in a beautiful package. Going from South Carolina (my home state) all the way to England, Henry delivers a fantastic story I highly recommend!

I was completely blown away by this outstanding and magical novel! Patti Callahan Henry weaves an unforgettable story of mystery, love, and resilience that captivated me from the very first page.

The vivid descriptions transport you effortlessly between the lush, sun-drenched coast of South Carolina and the foggy, atmospheric streets of 1950s London. Each setting is brought to life with such poetic elegance that you feel like you’re there, experiencing every breathtaking moment alongside the characters.

The heart of the story lies in the deeply emotional bonds between mothers and daughters, and the author explores these relationships with such tenderness and authenticity that I found myself moved to tears more than once. Clara’s journey to uncover the truth about her mother’s disappearance is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, and the added layer of mystery surrounding the lost language gives the narrative a wonderfully unique and magical twist.

I adored the way the novel balanced the weight of grief and loss with the hope and beauty of healing and redemption. The Great Smog of London, woven into the story, added tension and historical depth, making the stakes feel all the more real.

This book is an absolute gem—perfect for fans of rich historical fiction, complex family dynamics, and stories that tug at your heartstrings. A beautifully written, utterly mesmerizing tale that will stay with me for a long, long time. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Magical--I loved this book. I was drawn in immediately and fell in love with the characters, the settings, the descriptions--just all of it! I enjoyed reading the author's notes at the end of the book and learned some new things and was reminded of things I'd previously knew about. Each character was described so beautifully, I felt as if I would know them if I bumped into them on the street. This might be my favorite book of Patti Callahan Henry's. Thank you to the author, Atria Books, Simon and Schuster and Net Galley for the ARC. I can't wait to recommend the book to patrons in my library!!

A story similar to The Lost Book of Flora Lea about books and persons who have been lost and later found. When Clara is a young girl, her mother Bronwyn, an author who wrote a best selling and critically acclaimed novel as a child, mysteriously disappears. This loss has haunted Clara, who becomes an illustrator of a children’s series. Twenty five years later Clara receives a call from Charlie telling her he has found a book and letter addressed to her in his late father’s library. Clara and her daughter travel to England to retrieve these possessions only to find themselves in a life-threatening fog that endangers the life of Winnie, who already suffers from asthma. Charlie insists they flee with him to the countryside where his mother has a home. And so the adventure unfolds as secrets are revealed and friendships unfold.
Patty Callahan writes beautifully descriptive scenes of the Cumbria region and weaves into her story tidbits from the life of Beatrix Potter, which provides a feeling of nostalgia and comfort. Drawing on the power of words and language, she tells a compelling tale of loss and restoration, of forgiveness and love.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

Very beautiful story. You read and fell in love with the beauty of the characters in the story. Kind of a slow burn though. Felt at times it was hard to stay engulfed in the book.

"The Story She Left Behind" is a poignant and captivating narrative. When Clara was just eight years old, her mother vanished under mysterious circumstances. Now, as a mother to an eight-year-old herself, Clara reflects on her own childhood. Her mother was an emerging writer on the brink of fame, while Clara has carved out her path as an illustrator. The discovery of a letter addressed to Clara from her mother, along with an elusive missing book, raises questions about its authenticity. Should Clara embark on a journey across the ocean with her daughter to uncover the truth? Patti Callahan Henry's novels consistently deliver exceptional storytelling and are a must-read for all.

Patti Callahan Henry is one of my absolute favorite authors. Ever since reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis I have been a fan. The Secret Book of Flora Lea was one of the most enjoyable books that I read last year. And now, there will be (in March 2025), The Story She Left Behind. It is another triumph of emotional storytelling.

The novel opens in the U.S. in the 1950s and takes place between there and England. Readers meet Clara Harrington and her daughter Wynnie. They are very close as was Clara to her own mother before she disappeared. What happened to her is a central theme in the novel.

Clara’s mother (based on a real person), Bronwyn, was a writer with a vivid imagination. In fact, she created not only her own fictional world but a language. Her famous novel was published when she was very young. The dictionary that will decode the language has been missing ever since Bronwyn went away.

The author makes clear that Bronwyn had struggles. However, there was no indication that she would vanish. The loss has been pivotal in Clara’s life.

Out of nowhere, Clara hears from Charlie (in London) who has found some belongings of Bronwyn among his father’s papers. The story is set when Clara and Wynnie travel to meet Charlie and are immediately enveloped in the devastating fog of 1952.

No spoilers so no more plot. I will just say that this novel has everything I want in a book. The characters, the vividly described settings and the story all kept me both wanting to turn the pages and not wanting to as I did not want to finish the book. I recommend this title most highly. I am already wishing for Henry’s next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the gifted e-arc.

What was done well:
1. Great sense of place. The London fog oozed off the page the way it was written. The English countryside was a picture on the page!
2. Loved the cameo of a well known person (won't spoil them here). Made me smile to know whose house was just up the hill.

What I didn't love:
1. The romance felt rushed and convenient and not flushed out. All of the sudden, it worked!
2. There were some details that didn't add up for me. Like the girl running off past the river (written in a way that won't spoil the story for those that haven't it, yet will hopefully tell the reader where the issue lays.
3. The whole lost mother thing. This plot line-I just couldn't buy.

Overall the book did have a magical feel to it and I think readers will enjoy it.

For over 25 years, Clara Harrington has been haunted by her mother's disappearance. Bronwyn was a troubled genius who created her own language and wrote a book as a child that became wildly famous. When Bronwyn disappeared without leaving any way to interpret her sequel, the world is left wondering and Clara and her father are left heartbroken. However, when Clara hears that a man in England has found a dictionary of her mother's words and a letter written to her by her mother, Clara and her daughter Wynnie leave home to find the truth.

Clara and Wynnie meet Jamie, who found her mother's papers in his deceased father's library, and when the London fog drives Clara and asthmatic Wynnie out of London to Jamie's family home. Due to a horrible accident, Clara loses her mother's dictionary but in Cumbria County, England, she finds signs of her mother everywhere. The more she searches the more she realizes that she will never stop looking for her mother.

This book is haunting and moving with deep emotions and an incredible understanding of the connection between the personal and imaginative and what is "real." Jamie and Wynnie are both incredibly loveable, and both Clara and Bronywn are complex, fascinating characters. The location in England is visceral and beautiful, and it's easy to get lost in the mystery of the story.

I really thought this book was one of the most detailed and descriptive books I’ve read in a while! I loved the way the author made us really “see” everything from the scenery in the different places to the all the characters.

I felt like there was a part of the book missing near the end. Without giving too much away, there was a great resolution and a time jump that left me wondering what happened between the two. Overall, highly recommend!

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Pub date 3/18/25)

I couldn’t put this cozy little mystery down. Set in the mid 50’s spanning the Atlantic, Clara gets a call she has waited her whole life for. A clue to her mother’s disappearance when she was just 8 years old. Now a mother herself to an 8 year old, she sets out on a journey across the sea.

Thank you Net Galley and Atria books for this advanced copy. @pattichenry

#womenempowerment #womensfiction #NetGalley #TheStorySheLeftBehind #atriabooks #historicalfiction #fiction #romancefiction

Patti Callahan Henry has become a must-read author for me. The Story She Left Behind follows Clara as she tries to uncover what happened to her mother who vanished 25 years ago. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a family mystery!

Patti Callahan Henry is one of my favorite authors as I love her writing style, and while I did enjoy this book, it was not one of my favorite's of hers. I like the story and the characters, and there were numerous times I could not put the book down until I got to the next part. Two things that I didn't love were the invented language and the truth about Clara's mother (no spoilers!). I would still recommend this book as the things I disliked are very much personal preference.

One thing that I love about Patti Callahan Henry's writing style is that I can easily imagine the locations as she is describing them, and this book is no different as she describes the Lowcountry of South Carolina (Bluffton/May River) and the Lake District in England.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Clara Harrington is a young child when her mother disappears. Patti Callahan Henry describes the emotions and thoughts of Clara as a child and now as an adult with her own child very vividly. The reader comes to know the characters intimately. While the plot moves a little slow for me during the first part of the book, it picks up as the mystery takes hold. Clara's mother is somewhat of a celebrity having created a new language and written a book by age of 12. The mother has left behind a second book in this secret language. Clara spends most of her life searching for her mother and the dictionary of this secret language so she may discover what was written and perhaps understand why her mother has left Clara and her father behind.
It's a touching story full of love, family and the bonds one has. I highly recommend this book and it is a good one for book club discussions. Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

What a beautiful story of loss, love, family and forgiveness. Patti Callahan Henry artfully weaves historical events into the fictional lives of two families, intertwined in unknowing ways.The characters are complex and burdened yet so relatable. The story drew me in from the first pages and held me tight until the end. Thank you Atria books and Netgalley for this ARC.

“I’d like to say that so many people believe the novel is about the invisible world and fairies and fantasy, and in many ways it is. But also, it’s about finding home. It’s about knowing where you belong and then doing something about that truth. It’s about the awful and sometimes wonderful journey that can take you in the wrong directions, but then being willing to begin again and find your way.”