4.5 ⭐️ Sweeping, emotional, and utterly entrancing—The Story She Left Behind felt like stepping into a world where love, discovery, and secrets collide in the most breathtaking way.

I was completely taken by The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry. From the very first page, I was consumed by Clara’s journey and the legacy of her mysterious and captivating mother, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham. The 1952 setting, especially in the fog-covered streets of London during one of its most devastating natural disasters, felt hauntingly alive—it pulled me right into the uncertainty they faced, where danger and hope seemed to coexist in every moment.

What makes this book so extraordinary is Patti Callahan Henry’s writing. Her prose is lush and lyrical, and every word feels carefully chosen to draw you deeper into this world. Each layer of mystery, each revelation, unfolded like a carefully tended garden—growing, blooming, and flourishing into something truly breathtaking. It’s the kind of storytelling that keeps you utterly spellbound, pulling at your heartstrings with emotions that are thick and impossible to ignore.

The characters—oh, the characters! Clara’s longing for answers and her fierce love for her daughter, Wynnie, were so moving. Wynnie, in particular, was a delightful, fabulous character—her warmth and charm brought so much life and hope to this story. Bronwyn’s larger-than-life presence, even in her absence, was magnetic. And Charlie? Let’s just say he added an unexpected depth that made me love this story even more. I felt fully connected to their lives, their struggles, and the courage that carried them forward.

The mystery surrounding Bronwyn’s book and the invented language was like a thread I couldn’t stop pulling. And when everything came together? It was nothing short of breathtaking.

This book has everything—mystery, family legacy, love, and the enduring search for belonging. The ending? Absolutely beautiful, wrapping everything up in a way that left me reflecting on every moment and wanting to experience it all over again.

I was entranced by The Story She Left Behind—an unforgettable, moving, and gorgeously written novel that I cannot recommend enough.

A wonderful Witches Words read that I had the pleasure of buddy reading with Brenda, Debra, Mary Beth, DeAnn, and Dorie. Be sure to check out their reviews.

Expected Publication Date: March 18, 2025

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy—I loved every single second of it!

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion. Patti Henry has such a unique way of telling stories that I absolutely adore her writing. The Story She Left Behind was as exceptional as her last stories. Clara is a mother to an eight year old child and she is on a quest to find out more about the mother who abandoned her. Through out Clara's journey is so emotional trying to find out what happened to Brownlyn, her mother. Will Clara find the answers she's searching, or will there just be more heartache to endure? Absolutely enjoyed this.

What a lovely book with a beautiful cover! I loved this book about a missing mother, a daughter looking for answers, a secret language/words/writing and love. This wonderful book touched on a quest for answers, abandonment, love, loss, legacy, family, found family, longing, and forgiveness. I was intrigued by the secret language, the mystery, and the characters.

Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham was a world-renowned author who became a child prodigy when she wrote a bestselling book written in a secret language when she was 12 years old. When her daughter Clara was eight years old, she disappeared and left her husband and Clara behind.

Clara grew up to become a children's book illustrator with a young daughter named Wynnie. She is shocked when she receives a phone call from Charlie Jameson, in London informing her that a dictionary of her mother's secret language has been discovered. Clara and her daughter, Wynnie, set sail and arrive during the Great Smog of London. Clara hopes to find answers, obtain her mother's papers, and be able to move on.

What a wonderfully written and well thought out book. I was swept away along with Clara and Wynnie as they set out for answers and found more than they were looking for. I was fully invested in this book and the journey that each of the characters took as secrets and the truth merged between the pages.

This was my first book by Patti Callahan Henry, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Captivating, gripping, and a delight to read.

I adored Patti Callahan Henry’s The Secret Book of Flora Lea, so I was thrilled to get a digital ARC of THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND for review. Unfortunately, the characters in this one didn’t resonate with me the way I’d hoped, and I did not care for the resolution of the story.

There were things I liked: the setting was immersive, particularly the descriptions of the London fog. The premise of the story, and the fact that it’s based on a real person, is fascinating. However, the story moved too slowly and I never really connected with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Atria Books for the chance to read this one in exchange for my honest feedback.

I fell in love with Patti Callahan Henry’s books last year with The Secret Book of Flora Lea, so I jumped at the chance to apply for The Story She Left Behind! I certainly was not disappointed. This story is so beautifully written. I loved the romance, emotion, and mystery mixed into this wholesome tale!

Patti Callahan Henry has really outdone herself with this wonderfully emotional story! Her descriptions of London and the English Lake District in the mid 20th century are fabulous as she weaves a tale of family lost, love found, and ultimately builds the connections between the two. I really appreciate NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will continue to read the books that Ms. Callahan Henry writes, as they always satisfy my reading explorations.

I am a big fan of Patti Callahan Henry. She is able to weave compelling characters into a wonderful story, often with either a bit of magical realism or mystery into it.
This one weaves mystery into the plot. It is not mystery per se, just that the reader has to unwrap why things have happened the way that they did. The title of the story refers to the Clara's mother who disappeared from their home in South Carolina but had written a book in an invented language. A man in Great Britain claims to have found a dictionary of the invented works among his father's things when he died. Clara, who is raising a daughter alone, goes to Great Britain to see this manuscript and finds a great deal more.
I did enjoy the book and the author does well with characterization and scene setting. The plot does move along. However, I do feel that it just doesn't quite stand out for me compared to some of her other novels. There were a few parts where things felt a bit slow. Nonetheless, it was a good read and I would give this a solid four stars.
Thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Patti Callahan Henry's style of writing and always look forward to reading her books. I love the title of this one. However, I did not find this an easy one to read. It took me a long time to finish it which is really odd for one of her works. I did not find the story believable. I found the reactions of the many characters to what was taking place around them were hard to buy. The background for the book is really fascinating. Meeting Beatrix Potter was amazing but nothing else seemed to fit for me. I know this is a fiction based on history but somehow all the parts ended up tied together too neatly. Life does not usually work like that. I did appreciate the authors notes and reading references at the end and will research more of her suggestions as I found it very interesting.

I wish to thank Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. The descriptive prose was so beautiful. The ability of PCH to paint the landscape of the natural world and express the emotions of her characters is just brilliant. The themes in the book center around enduring love, grief/forgiveness, finding home and personal expression, to name a few.

I loved how each character had their own method of personal expression and dealing with grief and crisis, whether it be art(Clara) , writing(Browyn), music (Charlie)

Probably my only hesitation in giving 5 stars is the sheer number of coincidences and somewhat unrealistic manner in which the order of events unfolded. I’m not sure that it needed the Hallmark ending but that was minor in the overall loveliness of the story and the journey.

Some wonderful quotes:

“My art was just that—my private place, my passion, my refuge from the larger world that no one else could touch.

“Oh no, no,” he said, and smiled at me. “Dreams are so much more than that. They are visions of the future, they are whispers of our desires, they are hope. We cannot and we must not live without dreams, Clara.”

I have sewed myself into my secrets and there is nothing to do but live in here, stitched into this world of exile.

I wondered if this was how my mother once felt when she could not express herself, the reason she made up words because the ones inside her weren’t enough. It was a feeling much like melancholy, but also like hunger.

This wild world holds more than you can see; believe in make-believe.

Two of my favorite words:
“Parthanium,” I said. “‘A walled garden; paradise; to find what you are looking for; a place of one’s own.’”

Adorium. “It means the kind of love that obliterates all sense and logic and has the world appearing just as it is—completely and utterly magical. This word is the knowing that all things are one and that we are connected to all things—the love that created you and the love from which we came and the love to which we will one day return. The greatest love.”

***Note this was an ARC & therefore I did find some minor grammatical and punctuation errors. One inconsistency I caught in the story was how Charlie’s Vanguard was damaged…he did not hit the cow but was re-ended.

This book was an emotional adventure about family and identity. There was a lot of mystery involved and it was wrapped up in a believable, but not predictable way. The characters are relatable and lovable. I truly enjoyed this book.

Patti Callahan Henry once again weaves a glorious tale of love, second chances, family and intrigue in her latest historical fiction, The Story She Left Behind. Ms. Callahan Henry is an absolute marvel at storytelling, as she creates characters, scenery, plot, and a storyline that engage and draw readers in from the first chapter. Additionally, her professionalism at sequencing and traveling back and forth in time are unmatched, something that I'm sure can be tricky for an author, but expertly penned under this author's divine care. Although The Story She Left Behind has many moving parts, I think the entire story can be summed up by the character Wynnie near the end of the book, "...it's about finding home. It's about knowing where you belong and then doing something about that truth. It's about that sometimes awful and sometimes wonderful journey that can take you in wrong directions, but then being willing to begin again and find your way." What a brilliant way to spend time, getting lost in this beautiful book.

I really, REALLY expected to like this novel. ‘Once Upon a Wardrobe’ was my favorite novel of 2023, so I went into this one with great expectations. Unfortunately, maybe too great.
There were too many things that seriously annoyed me about this story, most of them having to do with language choices.

I know that I cannot quote from an unpublished manuscript, but I believe I can use the servant Moira to illustrate several examples of my frustration since she is meaningless to the story, and it would not be giving anything “away”.

• The reason given for Moira making free use of the private library is lame. She lights a fire, puts on music and dances? - and no one cares.

• Why did Moira lie about knowing anything about the satchel, and then freely admits having messed about with it later in the story? – and no one really cares.

• Why does Moira refer to Charlie as “Mister Charlie” and Clara as “Miss Clara”, and her employer Mr. Jameson as Collum? – I find that hard to believe.

• Why does Moira invite Clara to join “us” for tea downstairs, instead of inviting her to join “the family” – that was a poor choice of words.

And Clara “allows” her hostess to take her hands! - Allows? Really?

It may seem like nitpicking to some, but the writing let me down. Everyone’s conversation seemed so theatrical and dramatic. Wynnie spoke like no 8 year old I’ve ever heard, and Clara’s conversations were affected and unnatural. Clara’s actions were not much better. (Don’t get me started on Clara taking Wynnie to the museum.) I found myself wanting to shake her for much of the story.

I’m sorry, but ultimately the one word I would use to describe this novel would be “tedious”. It took me 3 long weeks to read this - I usually read a book in 3 days.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.

Beautifully written, The Story She Left Behind is a precious family saga of loss, love, secrets, repair and redemption. The characters are skillfully developed and Wynnie is a delightful addition to the cast. References to renown literary and art figures as well as historical events add to the fabric of the story. Prepare to be lost in this one as you read to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

3.5 stars

While I enjoyed this one, it didn't fully capture my attention. The unraveling of the mystery didn't feel very surprising and ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed. I connected with the characters and the descriptions of the setting were immersive. The author's style was very descriptive and transportive - great for armchair travel! She takes you from the calm coastal setting of South Carolina, to the foggy crowded streets of London, and finally to the charming English countryside. 

I recommend picking this up if you are looking for a quiet historical mystery with beautiful setting and a touch of romance.

The Story She Left Behind tells us the story of Clara Harrington, the daughter of child prodigy author Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, who disappeared when Clara was 8. Now Clara has her own 8-year-old daughter, Wynnie. Clara receives a phone call from London telling her the lost dictionary to decode the long-awaited sequel to her mother’s first book has been found and Clara and Wynnie voyage across the Atlantic to retrieve it. Only for them to be caught in the Great Smog and needing to flee to the countryside estate of the mysterious caller. Clara works to figure out how her mother’s lost papers made it across the Atlantic and how her family is connected to this stranger in London.

This story was beautiful! The writing had such whimsy and felt almost lyrical. I really felt for the deep heartache that Clara felt after her mother disappeared and the challenges she faced parenting Wynnie. The timing of the story was a bit odd. It felt almost misplaced in the aftermath of the war and aside from a couple mentions of the potholes from the blitz in London, you wouldn’t really know it’s set in the 50s.

If you enjoyed The Secret Book of Flora Lea, you will enjoy this book! It had a very similar feel and even had a satisfying tie in at the end of the book.

This book drew me in right from the beginning and I got lost in the story. I loved the poetic nature of the writing and the large themes of forgiveness.

Content considerations: one very brief open door scene, mental illness, parental neglect

This is a lovely mix of whimsy - an imaginary friend, an invented language, a author's disappearance so total it feels like she may have just walked into her own book - and soldiering on through the harder things in life. It's about looking for home, whether that's a place or a person or yourself. It's also terrifying at times, as characters try to escape the Great Smog of London. It kind of snuck up on me how many things the book contained! I feel as though I've been on a real journey and I'm glad I went.

The Story She Left Behind is a great family saga. Each member must find their way to forgiveness. This book will tug at heartstrings.

Secrets! As the story unfolds, secrets are revealed and the various family members must find their personal paths to forgiveness.
Clara Harrington's mother left her when she was 8 years old and she and her father had to make peace with the missing part of their family. Years later, Clara's daughter and she moved back with her dad after her marriage dissolved. They created a comfortable existence in their South Carolina coastal town until Clara gets a letter from Charlie in 1952. Charlie lives in England and as he was going through his father's effects, he found a letter for Clara from her mother. Clara has to go to London to retrieve the letter, per the instructions, as well as the satchel containing the dictionary of the secret words her mother created. When Clara's mother was 12 years old, she was considered a prodigy and had a magical book published. She never published another one. Clara has always wondered and searched for her mother and now that she is off to London, what will she find? Will the secrets be explained?
What an imaginative story that evoked so many emotions as you read, from joy to betrayal to love. There were many times I stopped reading to reread a passage or sentence that just resonated with me as this author has such a beautiful way painting a word picture. Cumbria, England is described with such richness the reader is immersed in this land of lakes, forests, and imagination. The characters were developed with so much depth and layers this reader felt like I knew them.
I would highly recommend this book for historical fiction readers as well as those that enjoy stories about family, those you are born into and those you create.
#TheStorySheLeftBehind #NetGalley #historicalfiction
Thank you Atria Books and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Will post this review closer to pub. date on Twitter, Insta, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Facebook groups.

This is what I read for. Stories like this. At it's heart, this story is about family bonds - both the love and the pain that they carry. It's also a journey of self discovery. Embracing the power of one's story. Clara's quest to reclaim her own narrative while coming to terms with her mother's legacy was extremely relatable. The importance of confronting the past in order to heal and move forward was highlighted in a way that will stick with me. What a beautiful story full of love, history and creative minds. I cannot wait to add to my shelf once its published.