The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry is a story about Clara whose mother Bronwyn disappeared from South Carolina when Clara was just a child. She was assumed dead. Bronwyn was considered a kid genius, writing a novel and creating her own language of words when she was just a child. She wrote a sequel to her successful debut in that language, but when she disappeared as an adult, the language was lost with her and the sequel was never able to be translated.
Clara grew up with only her father, has a child of her own and illustrates children’s books. She receives a call from a British man Charlie Jameson who has found Bronwyn’s lost language. Clara and her daughter travel across the pond to find out more and end up on quite the adventure where all of the mysteries of Bronwyn are revealed.
This was a very slow moving novel, and it was hard to keep interested. I didn’t feel the characters were deeply developed, and as a result, I didn’t care much about any of them. The end reveal of what happened to Bronwyn was a good surprise, but as a mother, I didn’t agree with her decisions at all. My favorite part about this was the in depth descriptions of the London Fog. It was so well detailed that I could actually imagine being there. But even that seemed to drag on too long. This was just too slow for me to love it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC.

In this whimsical story of a missing mother and her own made-up words, the writing sparkles. It is magical and mesmerizing. This is for everyone who loves creativity, whimsy, love and a bit of make believe. In no way can my words do this book justice. It will always be one of my all-time favorites. You must read this wondrous tale by Patti Callahan Henry.

Clara and her daughter travel to discover her mother's secret book with a language that she created.

"Forgiveness was only the beginning of what might come next, not the end of what had already happened."

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

What a lovely, touching story, one that had me wishing I could reread it as soon as I finished the last chapter.

Very few books these days have me reading a sentence over a few times because it's just so well crafted. Some passages were so beautifully written - especially the parts where the characters end up in the lake district - that I could feel the world they were describing as if I was actually there.

The story itself is very well paced. I genuinely was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't wait to read the next. There's themes of love, loss, family, forgiveness, and the bond between mothers and daughters. This was a love letter to words, writing, the importance of creating and telling stories, and how they connect us to the ones we love. The characters were so realistic and endearing that I never felt like they were only characters in a book.

Overall just a very wonderful book and a story I'll be thinking about for a while even after finishing it.

Another beautifully written story by Patti Callahan Henry. The beauty of art and language combine to tell the story of a women whose mother disappeared 25 years earlier and how that has affected her since she was a child of 8. It is 1952 and The Lake District of England is the main setting. The beauty and history of that area and the people who live there imbues a special atmosphere to the book.

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕: “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. 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. Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.”

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: I first fell in love with Henry’s writing when I read The Secret Life of Flora Lea. This book is beautifully written and touches on tough subjects. The FMC, Clara, has her walls up for several reasons: her ex husband is a gambler and her mom left her when she was only eight years old. On her journey to find answers regarding her mom, she finds herself falling for Charlie. Clara’s journey is filled with love, skepticism, anger, and forgiveness. Definitely recommend picking this one up when it releases on 3/18/2025.

I love the story! It was so well written and had some thing for everyone. It was very meaty and solid. This author never fails to disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

"The Story She Left Behind" is a beautifully crafted novel that explores the intricate bonds of family, the power of love, and the enduring allure of secrets. Author Patti Callahan Henry weaves an enchanting tale that captivates readers with its lyrical prose and compelling characters.

The story centers around Clara Harrington, an illustrator who, years after her mother's mysterious disappearance, embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind her family's past. As Clara delves deeper into her mother's life, she discovers the transformative power of words and the profound connection between a mother and her daughter.

Callahan Henry's vivid descriptions of the South Carolina and English Lake District settings transport readers to these enchanting locales, while her rich character development brings the story's complex relationships to life. "The Story She Left Behind" is a poignant and heartwarming exploration of love, loss, and the strength it takes to piece together a fragmented past.

Fans of emotionally resonant, family-centered narratives will be swept away by this captivating tale, which celebrates the healing power of forgiveness and the enduring bonds of family. "The Story She Left Behind" is a must-read for anyone who appreciates thought-provoking, character-driven stories that touch the heart and uplift the spirit.

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.