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. As the headlines focus on the missing author, Clara yearns for something far deeper and more insatiable: her beautiful mother.

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. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.

This work is brilliant, beautiful, and poignant. Patti Callahan Henry crafts a story of grief and fear, hope, love and redemption. One of my favorites of the year. This one will stick with me for a long time. 5⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan-Henry has a lot of elements that appealed to me: a lost mother, a story within a story, and a historical event I haven’t read much about, The Great Smog in post-WWII London. I was immediately pulled in to the story of Clara, her sweet and precocious daughter Wynnie, and their quest to find the truth about what happened to their mother and grandmother, Bronwyn. I enjoyed reading about their journey to London to meet Charlie, whose late father somehow ended up with papers that belonged to Bronwyn, as well as how they unexpectedly found themselves caught up in the deadly Great Smog and their subsequent escape to the countryside.

As a lover of historical fiction, I always appreciate the elements that are based on historical fact. In this case, the character of Bronwyn is based on a real-life author, Barbara Newhall Follet, who also published a novel at a young age and mysteriously disappeared in her 20s. I hadn’t heard of her before, but after reading this book I want to know more, and I can understand why this mystery sparked a story idea for Callahan-Henry. I thought she created a wonderful, intriguing character in Bronwyn, and I also wish that the fictional tale about Emjie was one that I could actually read!

There was also the bonus of an easter egg from Callahan-Henry’s last book, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, that made me smile. While there’s absolutely no requirement to read that one first, you should still read it if you haven’t!

The writing was beautiful, the characters had depth, and the mystery of what happened to Bronwyn wasn’t easy to predict. I love the way it all came together in the end. This is an engaging, enchanting book that I won’t hesitate to recommend!

Many thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a delightful and tender tale! A sweeping novel about family and the unseen ties that bind.

In 1927, a renowned children's author disappears without a trace, leaving fans confused and and her family devastated. It isn't until 25 years later, in 1952, that her now grown daughter, Clara, gets a mysterious phone call from someone claiming to have found some of her mother's papers. His name is Charlie Jameson, and he lives in England. His recently deceased father had the papers and a letter for Clara in a bag in his library. Clara can't resist the chance to learn more about what might have happened to her mother and to translate the secret language the papers claim to contain. She and her daughter travel to England and land in London at the beginning of the great smog of 1952. Of course, this is just the beginning of the story, and by the end, Clara, hopes to have more answers than questions about that long ago disappearance and the story her mother left behind.

I'll be honest. I found the beginning of this story a bit slow and almost overly dramatic. The use of the great smog as a way to move events of the book forwards feels sort of over played, but as the story continued, I found myself enjoying it more and more. Wynnie, the young girl in this book, is especially endearing, and I loved the role that she played in the narrative. There is just enough mystery mixed in with the slow character driven plot that it somehow works. Add in a smattering of romance, and you end up with a solid read despite the rocky start.

A lyrical and heart wrenching story of a writer whose greatest success came in childhood and the world has pursued her relentlessly ever since. When as an adult, she disappears into the night, leaving her daughter and husband, the world is once again transfixed. But that hole she leaves behind becomes a deeper well for her daughter Clara. Many years later, after a failed marriage, Clara receives a mysterious summons to London--her mother's lost papers were found in the safe of a well known literary collector. Seeking to finally have some answers, Clara travels to England, with her own daughter, and hopes to finally close the door on the tattered remnants of what her mother might have left behind. This is a story of dreams and hopes, and lost lives, and leaves both a sense of hope for the future, and the realization that not every question has an answer. I have enjoyed Patti Callahan Henry's books for years and it was a pleasure to get an advanced look at this gentle and kindly story.

The Story She Left Behind....and why.... What a mystical magical tale. This is a fabulously written story that takes us on an incredible journey. Dare I say oh Emjie I hope we get to hear more :)


This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

No spoilers & no references to the story line itself.
This is another beautifully written book by [author:Patti Callahan Henry|21936835].

A bit of whimsy, a little mystery, gorgeous & visual descriptions.

I loved it so much!!

Such a beautifully descriptive story of abandonment, make-believe, and enormous love. We follow Clara and her daughter Wynnie from South Carolina to London and then to The Lake District in hopes that Clara may find answers to why her mother abandoned her as a child. The way the story unfolds is both tragic and hopeful. What we learn about our characters throughout is an eye opening lesson in why certain choices we make thinking we are doing the right thing for everyone, may only be the right thing for ourselves. I loved the lyrical and heartfelt writing throughout. It was truly a magical read.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Exquisite! I loved, loved, loved Patti Callahan Henry’s The Story She Left Behind. This beautiful, utterly enchanting, gem of a tale is easily among my very favorites of the year.

Oh, so highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

The Story She Left Behind was a captivating story of loss, forgiveness, and love that centered around discovering the truth and embracing the journey of finding the truth.
Clara Harrington’s mother, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, is a famous author who went missing when Clara was just a child. This disappearance led to Clara growing up with many questions and a longing for her mother to be found. Clara now has her own daughter and the decisions she makes as a mom are shaped by her own experiences of being abandoned by her mother.
One fateful day, Clara receives a call from a man named Charlie whose father had recently passed away. While Charlie was going through his father’s items, he found an interesting letter along with a manuscript. The letter instructed him to contact Clara and let her know of the manuscript. She would need to personally obtain the letter and manuscript from Charlie. Clara’s longing to solve the mystery of her missing mother leads her to travel to England with her daughter and meet Charlie. Once in England, she faces challenges along the way and becomes enveloped in discovering the connection between her family and Charlie’s family, hoping to finally discover the truth about her mother.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book but the pacing of the story and events was incongruent throughout. The pace is slower through the majority of the book as you learn the details of Clara’s life and of the search for her mother over the span of twenty-five years and then the story greatly accelerates as the reader is abruptly hit with the discovery and truth. It is in many ways jarring when considering the initial pace of the story. Once the truth is discovered, the pace returns to a more steady and balanced flow to the end of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of The Story She Left Behind.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I read this as a palate cleanser after a suspense novel, and this was the perfect choice. This book spoke to me at just the right time. Not a lot really happens and it's more of a character study. It's an adult woman trying to find answers about her mother's disappearance, all set in the 1950s in the US and in London during the Great Smog. The characters were interesting, the setting was amazing, and I just enjoyed the journey that the characters find themselves on.

As a big fan of The Secret Book of Flora Lea, I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. The Story She Left Behind is another delight. It incorporates many themes from parenthood to the power of language and much more. The writing is beautiful, and the main story was inspired by a real author. I also was fascinated by the author's description of The Great Smog of London, something I'd heard about but hadn't appreciated its magnitude. I think this book would make a wonderful choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Story She Left Behind.

I've never read this author before but the premise sparked my interest so I was excited my request was approved.

I really liked how the premise was inspired by real life events but I wished I liked this better.

First, the writing is great, but it's too wordy, too heavy, the narrative filled with exposition and filler.

Second, popular tropes in these genres are all found here; a single mother, an insta-romance between her and the main male character, and a precocious child.

Third, the pacing is slow and not much happens, not even when the mystery of Clara's mom is revealed.

I mistakenly thought deciphering the language and the book's sequel was an intricate part of the story but it wasn't.

Fourth, I didn't connect with any of the characters; there was no emotional connection and despite the beautiful writing, no warmth in the development of Clara and Charlie's characters.

I didn't even like Wynnie very much; does a precocious child really talk like that?

Fifth, not surprisingly, the ending is too pat; every loose end is tied up and everyone lives happily ever after.

Verdict: A beautiful story about words, choices, fear, grief, hope, redemption, family, & love. Loved the mystery aspect of the book as well.
I was so grateful to be an ARC reader for this book. Thank you Patti Callahan Henry, Net Galley and Simon Element, and Atria for the arc. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Inspired by the story of a real writer who wrote her first book at age 12 and created words of her own like British authors Roald Dahl invented Gobblefunk and J.R.R. Tolkien developed Elvish, Patti Callahan Henry’s latest book is The Story She Left Behind coming out March 18.

Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham created a dictionary of her invented words and took it with her when she abandoned her family--never to be heard from again--after a fire in their home injured her daughter Clara in 1927 in Bluffton, South Carolina. Shattered by the loss of her mother, Clara has become an illustrator of children’s books as she raises her own daughter, 8-year-old Wynnie, in Clara’s childhood home where her father still lives.

Bronwyn left behind a sequel to her work but without the dictionary of created words, little hope remained for ever translating it. In 1952, Clara is contacted by a stranger in London who claims to having found her mother’s handwritten dictionary in his late father’s home. Charlie Jameson says there are instructions that Clara must pick up an envelope addressed to her in person, prompting a getaway to London for Clara and Wynnie.

Unfortunately, London is experiencing the Great Smog, attacking Wynnie’s asthmatic lungs. Charlie whisks them away to his family home in the Lake District of England, right down the road from Beatrix Potter’s home. Clara gets more than the envelope and the dictionary: a chance to discover what happened to her mother and the story she left behind.

Patti Callahan Henry, a former pediatric nurse, is a co-creator and co-host of the weekly Facebook podcast Friends and Fiction. She won the 2019 Christy Award for Christian Fiction for her book Becoming Mrs. Lewis, a historical fiction novel. A full-time author, wife, and mother of three, she has homes in both Alabama and South Carolina.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting November 7, 2024.

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Another great one by Patti Callahan Henry! The writing in this book is beautiful and the timelines woven together seamlessly. The characters in the book are all likable and the exploration of hidden languages an interesting part of writing history I enjoyed learning about. I very much appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book and highly recommend this to others.

Maybe one of my favorite books I’ve read this year! The storytelling was stunning and the imagery was just so beautiful. I loved every second of reading this & simply never wanted it to end. Everyone go buy this the second it comes out! It’s so worth it!!!

I LOVED the Secret Book of Flora Lea by this author so I expected to enjoy this book. It surpassed my expectations though, if I could give it 6 stars I would. The imagery is one of my favorite parts of her books she paints a BEAUTIFUL picture of the landscapes. I love a little love story amidst the rest of a book. The idea of forgiveness throughout is really compelling and convicting personally. I would recommend this to everyone that I know!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Ever since I picked up Surviving Savannah, I’ve been impressed by Patti Callahan Henry’s ability to understand and explore real human emotions. She doesn’t hide from complexity and instead skillfully navigates through how different people process, react to, and live with trauma.

In The Story She Left Behind, Callahan Henry introduces readers to Clara Harrington, an illustrator whose work is an attempt to help her find and make peace with the loss of her mother who disappeared in the middle of the night when she was just 8 years old. Clara now has a daughter of her own, Wynnie, and she struggles to understand what could possibly drive a mother to abandon her child. A mysterious phone call from London forces Clara to confront her complicated feelings, setting in motion a journey through twenty-five years of joy, longing, resentment, anger, acceptance, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

As readers learn more about Clara’s mother, Bronwyn, we begin to understand the challenges that women artists have faced throughout time, some literally having to invent their own language in order to have their voices heard. Bronwyn’s language is one of my favorite parts of the book in that she looks to put words to emotions and experiences that we’ve all had but that our “regular” language can’t seem to capture.

If I had to offer any criticisms about the book, I do think that much of the plot line is fairly predictable. It’s pretty easy to see where the story is going, so if you’re looking for more of a hard-to-untangle mystery, you won’t get that here. But what you will get is a compelling story of beginnings and endings, one that celebrates the power of love, sacrifice, creativity, and legacy.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

You should definitely read the author's note to see where she got the start of her idea for this book! I thought it was really interesting to see the characters change throughout the story and the author did a great job keeping suspense and surprise about what would happen next.