I particularly love novels where characters are storytellers themselves: In this one, Clara Harrington is a children’s book illustrator in the early 1950s. Driven to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance, she brings her daughter Winnie with her to England. They make their journey from the center of London’s Great Smog to the countryside to discover Clara’s mother’s hidden secrets. (Recommendation will be sent to subscribers of WordSmarts email newsletter)

The Story She Left Behind will have you captivated from the first page. I could not stop turning the pages. This is inspired by a true literary mystery and it follows a woman who is looking for her mother. The author did a wonderful job writing this and I can not wait to read more books from this author. Every character in this was great. This is historical fiction, mystery and so much more. It was such an enchanting read. I loved this one so very much and would recommend to any reader especially to those who loves historical fiction. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this read in exchange of my honest review of The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry.

Patti Callahan Henry may be one of my new favorite authors. This is the second of her books that I have read (she has written 18!) and I loved it more than the first (which was a favorite).

This book is historical fiction written so beautifully - a magical quality that takes you to another place and time! This book to me was a love story of a family and while it takes 25 years to fully understand the love story - it is a journey we have to take.

The characters are wonderfully written - not perfect in any way but you understand and want them to heal. The countryside is fairy like, and I want to live there always.

The writing is beautiful, the telling poetic and the whole experience one I want to live again and again!!

 
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought that the characters were well fleshed out, and enjoyed Clara's quest to find out what happened to her mother. I appreciated the inclusion of a historical event that I had not heard of before in the Great Smog, and thought setting it up so that Wynnie had asthma and needed to escape made sense, though based on the blurb I had expected more of the story to focus on that piece. The descriptions of the idyllic countryside made me want to go there. The slow-growing affection between Clara and Charlie was sweet and satisfying. Overall, an excellent book.

I enjoyed this story. It was very "Nora Roberts"-like; fantasy in the real world. I loved the little girl's character. I also loved the decades long family drama. This was a light-hearted story with a bit of mystery and a happy ending.

3.5 stars:

I loved the last book written by this author and was excited to dive into this one. I knew the writing would be beautiful and I love the female narrator so I was all set to love the book. In the end I feel very unsettled, and very sorry for almost every character in this story. Everyone lost something or someone, and everyone is looking for answers of some kind. While the story does have beauty to it, I’m left with a feeling of lingering sadness that I can’t shake.

“I believe we’ve all wondered about living different lives, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love the one we have.”

A young girl writes a story at eight years old that captivates the world. Her life is complex and so sad, but she has her own little girl Clara. The story becomes Clara’s, from her eighth year and on, and after her mother’s mysterious disappearance.

25 years later, Clara, a celebrated illustrator, brings her daughter Wynnie to England to investigate a new clue to her mother’s abandonment - is she dead or is she leaving clues?

I loved this story. I loved this author’s writing (all that I have read), and I loved the imagery and imagination of all the characters. Although it is loosely based on a real life author, I actually wanted more of the fantasy world, the world of Bronwyn’s character Emjie. I was also fascinated by the time period that was woven throughout - England during the Great Smog or Great Smoke, the end of the war and Churchill’s problematic decision making, the treatment of women, especially those with uncertain mental health and finally, the insight to Beatrix Potter, a beloved author/illustrator.

I think I would classify this as magical realism? It has that feel to me. The Story She Left Behind has so much wisdom woven throughout but the love of all things and people, and the idea of forgiveness as its stronghold.

I really enjoyed this story. I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover (seriously, I want it on my shelf just to look at every day!), but stayed for the mystery.

I love when a story hooks me straight away, and this one did that. I was into it the whole way through, and wanted to keep reading. The setting was vivid and easy to picture. The main character was easy to root for. Most importantly for me, the ending wasn't too easy (which I felt it was in Flora Lea), but this one had more wrestling with what happened and its affects, which I appreciated. I could understand the characters' extremely mixed feelings.

My only struggle was that sometimes the writing style felt a little clunky when something big was happening- I found myself skimming over the setting descriptions to get to the dialogue- I am, perhaps, a little impatient!

I am guessing fans of Flora Lea will love this one! It gives the reader so much to think about. And, it's inspired by a real author mystery, which always adds another layer of intrigue for me!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Atria Books for this lovely ARC!

"The Story She Left Behind" by Patti Callahan Henry is a nice combination of imaginative historical fiction, a literary mystery and romance. I really enjoyed this, especially building in the scenes of the London Fog in 1952 and the Lake District.

What a beautiful story! I am a huge historical fiction fan & especially love those that are solely focused on war. This book was full of family drama & multiple genres (mystery, romance, etc) Patti has a way with words like no other!

I love all of Patti’s book and this was no exception! I loved all the characters. Loved loved the scenery! Having been to Ireland twice,she made the place come alive! Highly highly recommend.

The Story She Left Behind - Patti Callahan

If Patti writes it, I will read it.

I’m not sure how she did it but this book was delightful, heartwarming, and cozy while tugging on the hear strings and walking us to the edge of disaster and back. It’s a quest and adventure but it’s also coming home and being found. I smiled and I gasped in equal measure.

It’s a love story. Mother-Daughter love. Romance. The love of art and story.

It is historical (and I appreciated so much of the specific details she included. Her author’s note brought so much depth) but it’s the kind of story that stands the test of time. What I mean is, it could have been set anywhere and been just as poignant.

I loved all the nods to story telling and illustration, especially the pieces about Beatrix Potter.

I don’t even care that there were connections that were beyond convenient. Forgiveness plays a huge part in the story and I’m willing to forgive having to suspend belief just a bit and lean into the magic for how the story wrapped up.

I was just swept away in the wholesome depth of the story and happy to go for the ride.

This is a rather complex novel. At times I wanted to shake the protagonist. And some other characters, as well... I'm glad it read it though. It is about family, the love and pain that can result from best intentions, acceptance, forgiveness and romance, too. Oh, and the freedom to live your life as you choose, to be the person you need to be. The story starts out in a small southern town and travels around a bit at a time when travel was nowhere near as fast ( I won't say easy-- travel is *not* easy nowadays) as it is today. ( Did you realize that the "pea soup" fogs of London lasted well into the twentieth century? I didn't. ) While it is set in the mid twentieth century, it often felt like an earlier time period to me. Or perhaps the story is simply timeless. It feels like all of the above and much more while at heart being quite a simple story. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy more complex "women's fiction." I think it is worth taking time to read. My thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and author Patti Callahan Henry for making a free copy available for me to read and enjoy. My apologies for this rather disordered review. My thoughts are still in a jumble from all the emotions this story evoked.

This was a historical literary mystery as well as a book about family, deep hurt, and love. This spanned two countries and multiple time periods. The atmosphere and scenery descriptions were stunning.

It's been quite a while since I finished a book and immediately wanted to start all over again... But "The Story She Left Behind" is one of those rare books. Beautiful, heartfelt, and thought provoking.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a digital review copy of this title.

I am such a sucker for complicated mother-daughter relationships. Henry did an incredible job here developing the characters of Bronwyn and Clara. The plot about the missing translation of Bronwyn's second novel was incredibly inventive, as well!

Well I wish when I got the eARC months back that I had started it back then. I really enjoyed Flora Lea when I read it last year and when I saw that the author wrote another book with another interesting plot, I wanted it instantly. Now I feel like Patti Callahan Henry has become an instant buy author for me. I really enjoyed the mystery that went along with this story and I like how the characters didn't just right up and leave. They made sure they were able to because that's how real life works. I am a big fan of historical fiction and its ties to real life historical events. I liked the mystery, the longing and the bits of a romance. I also was pleasantly shocked by the little surprise at the end. 4.5 stars

A lost novel written in a secret language was bait for anyone who loved a good mystery. My mother’s history is a blank book written in disappearing ink, an amalgam of who and what the world deemed Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham to be: a missing genius, a literary mystery, or a cocktail party anecdote. But for me, she was only one thing: my mother.

The lost words of my mother and the translation of her sequel were never going to answer the questions at the heart of me. The answer was in me—who I am in the world, who I love, and how I forgive and live and create. A pile of pages had never the answer. The way this place and these people feel is what I yearn for when I yearn. They are what I want when I want. They are what I attempt to create when I create. This wild world holds more than you can see…Invisible, not imaginary…The eternal mystery–how do we believe in make-believe?

The Story She Left Behind is an intention of love to the only place she’d ever believed, understood or heard her–the unseen places where imagination lived and beat a drum for her attention, and her character [who] waited for a new story…tales that sustain us and brought my family to the right moment and place. Stories are made of unseen things, of imagination, of old tales and edges of lakes.

The novel is about the invisible world and fairies and fantasy…But also, 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.

To new stories. To our stories. All mystery. All beauty. Patti Callahan Henry’s The Story She Left Behind is an object of wonder, a miraculum.

Wow! Just wow! Henry tells the story of one you do not want to end. The development of the plot through the characters and writing kept me captivated and wanting more. I will definitely recommend this book and read Henry's other pieces of work.

Patti Callaghan Henry hits it out of the park - AGAIN!

In 1927, Clara's world changes forever when her beloved mother, disappears into the night off the coast of South Carolina. Years later, in 1952, Clara and her father still live in the same home, but now Clara's daughter, Wynnie is now a member of the household. Clara is surprised by a telephone call from London - Charlie's father has just passed away and he finds a portfolio with papers and a letter addressed to Clara. Charlie has no idea why his father was in possession of the portfolio, but calls Clara following the instructions on the letter - which states that the letter and the portfolio must be given to Clara in person.

Clara and Wynnie travel to London to pick up the papers, which Clara is sure is the key to her mother's second book, which was left behind when she left her so many years ago. Clara and Wynnie arrive in London just as the "Great Smog" covers all of London. Fearing for Clara and Wynnie's safety, Charlie takes them to his mother's country home. There, the mystery continues to evolve, as Clara's Mother's book has been turned into a play by the local playhouse. Why did Charlie's father have Clara's mother's transcript, and why does the countryside seem so familiar?

This is a great story set over multi-generations, and a great read, which is available now! Special thanks to the Publisher and Net Galley for the advanced reader copy!