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!

25 years ago Clara's mother disappeared. She was eight. Her mother was an artist and an enigma. She was a famous author but her eccentricities were not appreciated in 1927.

Now it's 1952 Clara has her own 8 year old daughter, Winnie. She's an illustrator and teaches art at a local school. They are happy, living with her father. She's divorced because her husband is addicted to gambling.

One day she gets a phone call from a man named Charlie in England. He's found her mom's papers and for unknown reasons, they were in his deceased father's library. Clara and her daughter go to England to retrieve them and solve the mystery.

A mother travels with her daughter from South Carolina to London in the search of her own mother who vanished when she was eight years old. They end up in the Lake District where curious clues shed some light on the mystery. A charming story for young and old - Callahan Henry’s novels are just really enjoyable to read.

WOW! WOW! WOW! This book was so beautifully written. I truly felt like I was in the book. I could see and feel exactly what Patti Callahan Henry described and wrote. The journey that Clara took and the path it led her to was truly magical. I want to live in this story. All the characters felt like home ... like family. Clara and Wynnie. Papa and Bronwyn. Charlie and Pippa. Callum. This is beautiful story of what it means to love and be loved.

This book is one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. This story will stay with me for a very, very long time.

This ARC was provided by the Atria Books eGalley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Patti Callahan Henry has done it. Clara’s mother Bronwyn, a writer, left mysteriously when she was a child and now in 1952 she is raising her daughter Wynnie alone. She has a deep well of feelings about her mother and is contacted by a man in England who has a missing dictionary of fantastical words her mother created. Once there, they experience The Great Smog of London, which was interesting to read about. The story goes on with more discoveries about Clara’s mother and changes in Clara and her way of seeing life. It’s a beautiful story. Well done.

Patti Callahan Henry has done it again. Beautiful characters, and a beautiful setting that is a character in itself. Patti's writing illustrate how literature is an artform. This may be the book that leads me to dedicate an entire section to Patti's books. Brava, Ms. Callahan, brava.

A heartbreaking and spellbinding tale about abandonment and finding yourself. The imagery in this book is worthy of a Caldecott award itself (IYKYK). Set in the English countryside (near Beatrix Potter’s house!!) this story has something for everyone. It’s absolutely beautiful.

You can always count on Patti Callahan Henry to deliver compelling novels with beautiful prose. The Story She Left Behind is no exception. It is a literary mystery based on the true story of a famous child author who goes missing at the age of twenty-five, and includes a historical fiction element. In this case, The Great Smog of London in 1952. The author, called Bronwyn in this novel, disappears when her daughter Clara is only eight years old. In 1952, Clara and her daughter Wynnie, set sail to London to try to see if some missing papers hold the key to translating her mother's last novel, which is written in Bronwyn's secret language, and answers for Clara as to why her mother left. It becomes a quest for discovery, longing, family, love, forgiveness, and creativity. You will love these characters and their adventures. Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Patti Callahan Henry for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a wonderful story! The London setting was so atmospheric and the writing is lovely. The characters are so well developed and the air of mystery that surrounds the book kept me reading.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This might be Patti Callahan Henry's best book yet! I loved the author's poetic language and use of setting. And the storyline of a daughter trying to find her lost mother tugs at the heartstrings.

4.5 ⭐

Few authors fall under the "auto-buy" category for me, and Patti Callahan Henry is one. In her newest work, The Story She Left Behind, she has captivated me yet again with her stunning prose. 

Just as in her other books, Henry has combined fiction, history, and a touch of beloved literature from olden days, weaving them with her vivid storytelling into something altogether magical. She is a master at painting an atmospheric and rich setting that sweeps the reader away. I found myself wishing to grab my passport and visit this beautiful slice of England that sprung to life through these pages. True to form, The Story She Left Behind blends mystery, romance, and a piece of history, creating a full and well-rounded narrative that will leave lovers of multiple genres enamored by this story. This book truly has it all!