What a beautiful book of a mother’s love, magic and second chances. This is my 3rd book by Patti Callahan Henry. She paints such vividly beautiful pictures of the landscapes which set the scenes for her stories, and the characters in this story were so lovable. This book was near perfect for me. There were a few chapters that felt to drag, but that was probably because I was anxious about what would come next! I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity read this book, and finish it by pub day!

I thought this was a magical story.
Clara is looking for her mother who disappeared years ago. She and her daughter are caught up in looking for the sequel to a book her mother wrote years ago.
It’s a good mystery with a few surprises along the way.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry is a mesmerizing tale of loss, longing, and literary mystery that spans decades. When Clara Harrington’s mother, a famed author, vanishes without a trace, she is left with unanswered questions and an unbreakable connection to the stories her mother created. Years later, a discovery in London reignites Clara’s search for the truth, leading her on a journey filled with atmospheric beauty, emotional depth, and the enduring power of stories. With lyrical prose and a richly woven dual timeline, Henry crafts a deeply moving novel about the ties between mothers and daughters, the mysteries of the past, and the courage it takes to uncover long-buried truths.

This compelling novel was “inspired by a true literary mystery”.
The characters were enchanting as well as captivating. I simply couldn't put it down from the opening page to the brilliant ending.
I really enjoyed the magical realism and the amazing powers of a child’s imagination and creativity.
Bronwyn and Clara story was breathtaking and beautifully written.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really liked The Secret Book of Flora Lea and am so happy I was approved to read this one. I loved it just as much, if not more.

The descriptions of the areas, especially once Clara and Wynnie went to England and were out of the city. What a beautiful, whimsical place to live. I especially loved the inclusion of Beatrix Potter.

The book is filled with mystery and I so enjoyed watching it all unfold. The pacing was perfect and I found myself unable to stop reading this delightful book.

The themes of family and legacy are beautifully explored in this novel. I only wish I could read it again for the first time.

Thank you to Atria for the copy. All views are my own.

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 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.

Told in Patti Callahan Henry’s lyrical, enchanting prose, The Story She Left Behind is a captivating novel of mystery and family legacy that captures the profound longing for a mother and the evergreen allure of secrets.

The story she left behind is so mesmerizingly beautiful. It’s only March, but I believe this will be my personal book of the year.
This story is heartbreaking and heartwarming. There are moments of suspense and thrill. There’s mystery against a beautiful backdrop. Her writing paints the picture in this gorgeous Lake District north of London.
I love the mother daughter relationship and tales of love and loss. She explores language-made up and real. What do you do when there are feelings that are just too big and there doesn’t exist a word for it?
“Forgiveness….is a mighty strong force against fear.”

Highly recommend this one. If you loved Flora Lea, you’ll love this one as well. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Patti Callahan Henry does it again. She captured my heart and my mind with this amazing mystery that involves heartbreak, love, loss and forgiveness. The story captivated me with the richness and depth of the characters and the amazing descriptions of the surroundings. If you love historical fiction and a story with emotional depth, this is a must read for you.

One of the main characters is Clara Harrington. Clara’s mom, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappeared without a trace when Clara is relatively young. Bronwyn is considered a child prodigy when she published a book written in a secret language when she was just twelve. When Bronwyn disappeared, she also left behind an unfinished sequel that no one can translate.

One day, out of the blue, Charlie Harrison contacts Clara indicating that he has found Bronwyn’s dictionary of her secret language amongst his recently deceased father’s belongings. From there, Clara travels to London and begins the unraveling of Bronwyn’s mystery. During the unraveling, the reader meets various characters who provide such depth and intimacy to the story. The other element of the story that I found fascinating is that the story is based on the disappearance of a real-life child prodigy author, Barbara Newhall Follett. Although the mystery in the book will be solved, Barbara’s disappearance remains unsolved.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#TheStorySheLeftBehind, #PattiCallahanHenry, #NetGalley

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
When Clara Harring is eight years old her mother, famous author Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears. In 1952 Clara is grown up with a daughter of her own. She has become a famous illustrator of children's books. Out of the blue, she receives a call from Charlie Jameson who lives in England. His father has died, and he has recovered some things belonging to Clara's mother when he is cleaning out his dad's stuff. So begins the fantastic mystery of what happened to her mother. Patti Callahan Henry has a way of making her writing feel like poetry. She made me feel like I was there with all the fantastical images and the magic language. This story even made me think about what I would do. This occurred near the end. I won't go into details because that would spoil this magical book. I highly recommend this book!

The highlight of The Story She Left behind is beautiful prose. The way the author talks about language makes you appreciate what we all take for granted every day. I was swept up in the emotion for losing a mother and the journey to find closure. I was worried in the middle of the novel that I was going to be left broken with heartbreak for Clara but thankfully we find healing and peace by the end.

As beautiful as the message and the prose were, I felt the story dragged a bit for me. I loved the portion of the novel where Clara and Wynnie first arrive in London but once we were out in the countryside I started to lose interest until the ending. I understand why the plot flowed the way it did but I wish that maybe it was a tad shorter to avoid the lulls.

Highly recommend to historical fiction fans and those wanting your little heart to ache💗

This read was definitely a slow start. It started to pick up at about 35-40%. The back and forth with the timeline was a tad bit hard to follow until the story picked up. Once it picked up I really enjoyed the story.
This is a read about finding something you lost but also learning to remind yourself what you have and what is important to you. Clara really struggled with needing answers and being the best parent for Wynnie. Her struggle was very relatable because sometimes healing our inner child can cause us to struggle internally. I think her divorce and "broken" family played into the struggle of needing to know what happened to her mom. She needed closure and need to know if her mom abandoned her or not.
I struggle with historical fiction and this read was no different. I think they just aren't really for me; I enjoyed certain parts but it really seemed to drag on and didn't feel as though it was building to much of anything at all. at about 70% I was pretty invested and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.
It took a good while to keep me drawn in but the ending made it worth the wait.

Clara’s mother, Bronwyn, a renowned author, vanishes from the South Carolina coast, leaving the world captivated by her book written in an invented language that becomes a national phenomenon.

Set primarily in 1952, the story follows Clara, now a children’s book illustrator, as she raises her own daughter, Wynnie. One day, Clara receives a letter from Charlie Jameson, a stranger in London, who claims to have the lost dictionary of her mother’s unique language. Clara and Wynnie cross the Atlantic to London during the height of the Great Smog, a devastating natural disaster that puts asthmatic Wynnie at risk and they escape to Charlie’s family retreat in the Lake District.

This is a beautifully written, deeply moving story about the bond between a mother and daughter, and the search for a lost mother. It has themes of abandonment, adventure, mystery, and love.

I was so intrigued by the mystery around Bronwyn's book and the invented language, and seeing everything come together was so beautifully written. My only slight critique is that this didn't fully feel like historical fiction - it felt a little like it could have taken place at any time. But this is a truly wonderful and heartwarming read.

4.5-5⭐️ When Clara Harrington’s brilliant mother, author Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears from their home in South Carolina, leaving behind her only published book written at the age of 12 in her own invented language, her world is shattered. Years later, when a stranger reaches out claiming he has her mother’s handwritten dictionary of her created language, she takes her daughter Wynnie on a voyage of a lifetime, across the Atlantic, to London, where she hopes Charlie Jameson holds the answers to what happened to her mother.

Wow. I had originally intended to read just a few pages of this book, and wound up absolutely devouring it in an afternoon. Oops. What I love most is that this story, based on an actual literary mystery, offers a little bit of everything, making it a fantastic read for such a large swath of readers. With a fantastic mashup of historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery, and romance, and gorgeous prose, it’s hard not to be completely swept away to the tiny picturesque area of London, and into the world Patti Callahan Henry has created.

This is my first book by this author, so I am very new to her writing, but I was blown away by how evocative and atmospheric her writing is. As Clara and Wynnie brave the streets of London during the Great Smog, I felt as though I was right beside them, unable to breathe myself. For so much of the story, there was a cinematic quality achieved through her dynamic writing. And beyond that, the characters are spectacular. They are multi-layered and complex, each with their own unique backstory, and I enjoyed every moment I spent with them. I have surely been missing out here, and I cannot wait to dive into this author’s entire backlist.

Read if you like:
▪️women’s fiction
▪️literary mysteries
▪️mother/daughter stories
▪️dual timelines
▪️books about books
▪️romance subplot

Thank you Atria Books for the gifted copies.

I absolutely love everything Patti Callahan Henry writes and think this might be her best novel yet.

Patti and I both share a love of Bluffton, SC and when the book started out there, I was captivated. From the meandering marshes of Bluffton to the Lake District, Patti described the scenery with her signature lyrical prose. You can visualize yourself standing along the May River or immersed in the beauty of the English countryside.

Clara Harrington childhood is upended when her mom, literary prodigy, Brownyn Newscastle Fordham suddenly disappears.

Not only are Clara and her father left behind, but so are the hopes of translating the sequel to her groundbreaking first novel.

Fast forward and Clara is a successful illustrator who is set to receive a prestigious award when she’s unexpectedly contacted by Charlie Jameson who claims to have documents belonging to her mother.

Clara and her daughter, Wynnie journey to London and what transpires is a story of courage, forgiveness, love, and overcoming fear. I was enthralled with how the Jameson family was connected and could not put the book down until I had all the answers. My gut had an inkling as to how things would turn out, and how Patti Callahan Henry wove the story is simply magical.

Patti Callahan Henry has written another beautiful novel that resonates with you long after its done. The story unfolded so brilliantly and I became truly invested in her characters. I love the historical fiction elements, this story tied in with real events that I was not aware of and look forward to reading more about. A compelling story of sacrifice and how we make decisions in life based on what we think will be best for our loved ones. Whether these sacrifices end up being better for those we love or better for ourselves is the real question. Clara has lived her life in the shadow of her famous mother Bronwyn whose story is quite unique. Bronwyn is considered a literary genius and published a book at the age of 12 and not just any book but a book that has stood the test of time. This classic novel keeps her Mothers story alive years after her disappearance and assumed death. Clara now a mother of a young daughter receives a phone call that sends her on a journey to hopefully find some answers to this mystery.
Do not delay on buying this book you will not regret it. My only regret is I did not savor it a little longer.

Y’all! This book is pure magic!

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.

This story captivated me. It has a little bit of everything…history, mystery, great characters and drama.

I loved Clara! She has great hope even though she fights this hope every day. This is the reason she sails to Europe to hunt for her mother one last time. She has hope!

Now, I don’t want to give anything away. Did I guess it? Yes and no! You will need to read this to find out. But, I swear, every time a new female character was introduced, I was sure it was going to be Clara’s mother.

Need a tale which will have you engrossed from start to finish…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

One of the best books I have ever read

I love Patti Callahan Henry's books and this is the best I have read so far! The story is very engrossing and raises lots of issues about family, genius and historical treatment of atypical minds. One is thrust into a family secret spanning 3 generations and two continents. I don't want to say much more for fear of ruining the terrific plot, characterizations and mystery for the reader, I just want to say that in my opinion, this is one of the best books I have ever read.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-limited e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

I loved reading The Secret Book of Flora Lea.
So I was so excited to jump into The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry.
I thoroughly enjoyed this charming, imaginative story.
Such a beautiful book that made me feel all of the feels. Simply enchanting.

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is the most charming, cozy mystery that will leave you aching to be transported to the English Countryside. The setting in this book is enough to keep you reading. I was very invested in the story and needed to see it all come together, but the pacing was a little bit slow for me. If you go in expecting that, I think this story will suck you in and you will love it!

When Clara is only 8 years old, her mother, a famous author, disappears and is never found. Years later a stranger from London contacts her claiming to have her mother’s lost language. Desperate to find out the truth about her mother’s disappearance, Clara travels to London with her daughter to see what she can find.

Perfect if you like:
•Slow burn romance.
•Cozy mystery.
•DREAMY setting!
•Interwoven characters.

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️ (just kisses)
Mood: 🍜

Atria eARC
Absolutely beautiful. This novel will be one of my favorites of the year, I'm sure. It was historical fiction that focused on a family, what being a mother and motherless meant, had a compelling mystery, and a cast of truly wonderful characters. I fell instantly for Clara and Wynnie. I loved this mother/daughter duo and the love between them. The mystery felt natural and Charlie and his family in England were just the sweetest to Clara and Wynnie when they traveled. I also liked the message of forgiveness and figuring out what comes next because those times can feel so fraught with tension, and the author captured these feelings so well. I just adored this story.