An exquisite, captivating amalgamation of time, place, and story. Again, Patti's words dance on the page and effortlessly draw us into a beautiful story. I cannot get over Patti's extreme talent to blend History with her imagination into a story that becomes part of you / you become part of the story while reading it. The characters were fascinating and I felt for them - honestly wished they could hear my cheers or receive my comfort - as they faced triumph and challenges.

THANK YOU, to Netgalley, Patti, and Atria for the opportunity to read and review this captivating work!

This book was wonderful! The descriptions of England were just beautiful and I was kept guessing until the very end! I really did not know how things would turn! Loved it so much!

This was such a beautifully written, atmospheric read. Patti Callahan Henry weaves together past and present in a way that feels both emotional and immersive. I loved the Southern setting, the layers of family secrets, and the slow unraveling of the truth. While it started a bit slow for me, once the story found its rhythm, I was fully hooked. The characters felt real and flawed, and I appreciated how grief, love, and legacy were explored throughout. A heartfelt story that sticks with you after the final page.

Definitely recommend if you enjoy dual timelines, family drama, and a touch of mystery woven into women’s fiction.

This story is about Clara Harrington and her mother, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham- who was a renowned child prodigy that wrote a book about a secret language. She and her mom are very close and one day her mom just disappears into the night with her satchel containing the sequel to her book and is presumed dead. After 25 years, she receives a call from Charlie Jameson, a man living in London, who tells her that he has her mother's satchel and inside are the lost pages to her mother's book that he found in his father's library. Along with the lost pages, there is a note in her satchel with Clara's name on it. He tells her that his father's dying wish was for her to come to London to retrieve the lost pages in person; he can not send them to her. Having not lost hope to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance, she and her daughter Wynnie- named for her mother, make the long journey to London.

In 1952, London suffered the Great Smog and the journey proves difficult for young Wynnie, who suffers from severe asthma. With the lost pages in hand and the letter that was in fact from Clara's mother, they all escape the peril in London and head to Charlie's country house to find clean air and ultimately unearth his family's secrets. Throughout their time together, they piece together the puzzle of how they are coincidentally connected to one another in ways that didn't seem possible. Charlie's family's estate feels new, yet familiar to both Clara and Wynnie and they need to figure out why.

This was a beautiful story about loss and the journey to find all the facets of love that exist, told in Patti Callahan's lyrical prose.

Special thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book and to Atria Books for allowing me the opportunity to review it.

Patti always finds unique stories to write! I love her writing style and how everything has such a subtle magical quality to it. This one started slow and I hope people don’t give up on it too quickly. I also wasn’t a fan of Wynnie (😬). But the love story woven in 😍🥰… a sweet read.

Enjoyed this very much and would love to visit England’s Lake District. The author’s last book was also quite good.

This was a wonderful story and one that I didn't want to end. Beautifully written with wonderful descriptions of the places where it takes place, South Carolina, London and the Lake district in England.
It has a bit of a romance, a mystery, a bit of magic Realism, a longing to find what one lost and new beginnings.
The story starts in1927, when eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s mother, author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Clara's Mother had written a book, at the age of 12, which had become very Popular. The sequel had been written in the mothers secret language , and the mother had a dictionary of her words, which disappeared with her. She had left Clara, and her husband, and was assumed dead.
Now in1952, Clara is a grown woman and an illustrator of children books, with a child of her own, Wynnie. When out of the blue,Charlie Jameson calls her from London claiming to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother’s lost language, with a letter for her inside the satchel. Even though she doesn't know what to think, yet knowing if there is a chance of finding out what happened to her mother, she takes her daughter and leaves for London.
A lot will happen after this but is is worth the read to follow the journey yourself.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book.

An atmospheric story inspired by a real literary mystery, Clara goes in search of her mother, Bronwyn, a child prodigy who wrote a famous novel at the age of 12. As a young mother living in South Carolina, Bronwyn disappears in the middle of the night, abandoning her own 8 year old daughter, along with the novel's sequel, and a dictionary which would unlock the sequel's secret language known only to Bronwyn herself.

Twenty five years after her mother's disappearance, Clara, who has returned post-divorce to live in her childhood South Carolina home, receives a call that the dictionary has been found in a personal library in London. She bravely packs up her 8 year old daughter to find the truth about what happened to her mother, and to hopefully translate the sequel her mother finished before she deserted Clara and her father. What she uncovers will be unlike anything she anticipated. This is a story of mothers and daughters, family and loyalty, mental health and healing, and love and forgiveness. Written in Patti Callahan Henry's beautiful and magical prose, it is impossible not to be swept away by the story and the world of magical realism that she creates in the English countryside. The novel has a fairy tale like quality to it but a very satisfying adult ending. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommend!

Another great book by Patti Ccallahan Henry. I've read several by her, and one thing I always appreciate with every one of her stories and how she writes.

Inspired by true events, this is the story of Clara Harrington whose mother, a child prodigy and author, left without a trace when Clara was 8 years old. Now, years later and with her own daughter, she is trying to fill the whole that was left when her mother disappeared.

Patti weaves a story, where the setting is just as much a part of the story as the characters themselves. Whether in South Carolina along the bay or in the Lake District of England, you can feel the setting as you read, and the setting alows the characters to grow.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and so glad I read this book.

Patti Callahan Henry is an author I enjoy, but this was just OK for me The central mystery element of the book was good but the pacing felt a bit slow. I'll keep reading her books but this was just not my favorite.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced review copy of this book.

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry

A story for all lexiphiles, logophiles and word lovers! Finding a word to describe a feeling, a mood or a situation is not always easy. What if there was a secret language to describe everything?

I was fully invested in Clara Harrington’s journey to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. Clara and her daughter Wynnie’s relationship was so sweet and touching. I loved how Clara was so accepting of Wynnie’s unique personality and outlook on the world.

While I did feel there were more than a few unrealistic and/or convenient coincidences used to further the plot, the story itself was done well. The prose is beautifully descriptive, lyrical and evocative. And I now have new words to add to my personal collection of favorites; adorium, miraculum, enchantia!

Overall, a magical and heartwarming story about family, mother-daughter relationships, grief, loss, forgiveness, and the love of language and writing. Recommend for my fellow readers and writers!


Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Pub Date: 03.18.25

**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & AtriaBooks

I loved this book! Patti has such an immersive writing style that makes you feel like you are there. I loved the mystery aspect and the beautiful setting. I felt like there was some disconnect in the dialogue but overall I loved it.

The Story she Left Behind a wonderful historical fiction/mystery. Such a well written book. Clara and Wynnie were great lovable characters I thoroughly enjoyed their journey. This book includes love, loss, forgiveness and so many secrets. Such a delight to read. Patti Callahan Henry writes some of the most beautiful books.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for providing me with the arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Story She Left Behind is a historical fiction novel that is part mystery and part romance. Its a quiet, slow but steadily paced book with a beautiful sense of place and well developed characters. It includes several interesting real events such as the terrible London smog, facts about Beatrix Potter and is based on a real author that was published as a child and disappeared in her twenties and was never heard from again. I liked the story more as I read on and found the themes of forgiveness and second chances compelling.

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. In the briefcase contained a handwritten dictionary of the mother’s lost language. Clara is leery but travels across the Atlantic with Wynnie during London’s most deadliest natural disaster- the Great Smog. Wynnie’s in great risk being asthmatic. Charlie helps them escape the city taking them to the Jameson retreat in the countryside the Lake District. Clara must find the truth there about her mother and the secrets of the story she left behind.

This book involves family ties, love, loss, abandonment, mental illness, searching for answers and forgiveness. The characters are so likeable, delightful and warm.

If you love historical fiction with rich language, then this book will be for you.

This was a very enjoyable literary mystery. It started out a little slowly, but picked up halfway through. I love the gentle writing style and the characters. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Dare I say I enjoyed this more than The Secret of Flora Lea?!

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.

I really enjoy reading a book about books and Clara was such an enjoyable character.

if you like historical fiction that isn’t war focused, this will be for you! also read if you like family drama, dual POVs and genre benders (this one has mystery, romance, historical fiction, and fam drama).


Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars!

"The Story She Left Behind" is a novel by bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry that follows Clara Harrington, whose mother, renowned author Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappeared when she was just eight years old. Years later, Clara receives a mysterious message from London claiming to have discovered a dictionary of her mother's lost language. Clara sets off with her daughter to uncover the truth about her mother's disappearance and the story she left behind.

Every now and then, I find solace in delving into historical fiction as a refreshing break from the thrillers I typically indulge in. The book that caught my eye was not only due to its captivating cover but also its intriguing synopsis. It is a heartwarming tale that I highly recommend making time for.

The protagonist is endearing and undergoes gradual development as the narrative unfolds. The characters and vividly depicted setting drew me in, immersing me in Clara's journey through the challenging weather on her way to the UK.

This book proved to be a page-turner, as the anticipation of how events would unfold kept me hooked. The myriad of questions that arose throughout the story were eventually answered by the satisfying conclusion. Intrigued by the historical accuracy woven into the narrative, I found myself conducting further research post-reading.

If you appreciate family legacy, and the longing for a mother, plot twists that prompt a Google search, and a heartwarming resolution, this book is must-read. The story serves as a reminder that things are not always as they appear, leaving me gratified by the resolution. Emotionally charged and skillfully executed, this book deserves commendation. Kudos!

Thank you, Atria Books, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A classic Patti Callahan Henry novel delving into the realm of history mixed with creative secrets which tends to be an ever present theme. Clara sets off to London to claim some missing papers that are supposedly left by her missing mother. The papers are written in a secret language that only her mother knew and opens that deep, lasting connection between mother and daughter. It’s a rich story filled with forgiveness and love. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

I absolutely loved her last book Flora Lea so I immediately grabbed the new one when it became available on Netgalley! I was intrigued that this was based off a true story of a missing/disappeared author. Like other reviewers I did find this pacing on the slow side, the the overall story and message of the book was satisfying.

What a wonderful book! I read this as part of Author Brenda Novak's "Book group" read. So exquisitely written. I loved and appreciated the storyline. An enjoyable and easy read I couldn't put down.

Bronwyn, a renowned author, ran away from her home and left her daughter Clara (8years old) and her husband forever. Bronwyn was special, articulate and talented, she wrote her own book in her "own invented" language at the age of 12. The world loved it and wanted more. But as she disappeared so did the hope for the sequel. Always feeling like SHE was the reason Bronwyn left,

Clara had to find a way to continue on in her life with her dad. She became an illustrator for children's books and won a "Caldecott Award". She married and had her own daughter, Wynnie. A stranger, Charlie, from London contacts Clara with news of having found a satchel with a "secret language" in it. Clara doesn't know whether to believe him, many others have supposedly claimed to have found such a dictionary.

Clara and Wynnie sail across the ocean to London during one of the worst natural disasters, The Great Smog. Wynnie is struggling due to her asthma and Charlie gets them out of the city and to his family estate in the Lake District. Clara seeks for the truth and answers to why Charlie has the dictionary and tries to put the puzzle pieces together.

It's a beautifully written tale with nostalgia from childhood memories we all can relate. It touches on a world of make believe and the hope of the imaginable. Absolutely loved this novel by Author Patti Callahan Henry. Such a joy. Highly recommend.

Thank you to @Atriabooks and @netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review. Posts will be made to Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon and Instagram