The Story We Left Behind by Patti Callahan was a pleasant but ultimately underwhelming read for me. While Callahan's prose is undeniably graceful, the storyline felt predictable, lacking the emotional depth I expected. The characters, although likable, didn't resonate deeply enough to leave a lasting impression. Overall, it's an easy-going, comfortable read—fine for a casual afternoon—but not one that lingered in my thoughts afterward.

I finished this book about a week ago, but I wanted to wait to post as I knew I was going to have the chance to meet the author in person. I finally did and she was so lovely. Hearing her speak about this book, her inspiration for it, and the writing process just increased my enjoyment of an already wonderful story. This book is so enveloping - it’s nearly impossible to put down as you are completely transported to South Carolina, London, and the Lake District of England. The characters are so well drawn and the settings are so vivid. If you enjoyed Callahan Henry’s The Secret Book of Flora Lee (which I loved), you need to pick this one up right away.

Beautifully written book! I can’t say enough kind words for The Story She Left Behind. It was a quick read and kept me interested. Patti Callahan Henry will be an automatic read for me from now on

Thank you simonschusterca, @atriabooks and @netgalley for sending me this book for review. All opinions are my own.
“Inspired by a true literary mystery, the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.”
“A captivating novel of mystery and family legacy that captures the profound longing for a mother and the evergreen allure of secrets.”
This was my first book by Patti Callahan Henry and it definitely won’t be my last. I couldn’t put it down. I love when a book is in a genre that I love (historical fiction in this case), but it’s still unlike anything I’ve ever read and I found that in The Story She Left Behind.
The Story She Left Behind was actually inspired by a real cold-case literary mystery of a child prodigy author who went missing in the 1920s, leaving behind shattered loved ones and a sequel to her beloved novel written in a secret language that no one could decode.
In The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry reimagines this character as Bronwyn, an author famous for her novel written as a young teenager in a different language. When she disappears in 1927, she leaves behind her husband and eight-year-old daughter, Clara. Many years later, in 1952, Clara receives a clue to her mother’s disappearance from someone in London and she and Wynnie set sail across the Atlantic Ocean to discover what secrets might be revealed about Bronwyn’s disappearance. They arrive in London just in time for the Great Smog which puts Wynnie’s fragile health at risk, and they escape with the help of Charlie, the man who found a clue to Bronwyn’s disappearance, and the story continues to unfold from there in the English countryside.
This story, which follows a daughter’s search for both her mother and a legendary book, blends historical fiction, family legacy and so much intrigue to keep me turning pages late into the night.

4.5 Stars Rounded up to 5

My first book by the author and I enjoyed it! She’s great at giving descriptions of nature that makes you feel like you are right there. I enjoyed the story but there were parts kinda slow in the middle. I liked the mystery of Clara trying to find out what happened with her mom and her daughter was very sweet and inquisitive. The love interest was nice with Charlie being a genuine kind person. I liked the found family and would definitely read another book by this author.

Wow, what a beautiful story. I just love Patti and everything about her style
of writing. This story will pull at your heartstrings and make you so sad it is over.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This didn't really feel like historical fiction? It didn't hit for me and I was sadly very bored in the second half :(

The synopsis makes this sound like it was be two timelines but only the prologue takes place in the "past". The entire story takes place in the later timeline and most of the book is in the Lakes district in England. Gorgeous setting and I loved it! Just wish everything else was as interesting to read about.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this, out now!

The Story She Left Behind
Family stories of our ancestors, if they are recorded in a book, may provide wonderful holiday discussions in some families. The recordings and discussions of these ancestors’ lives and relationships can also help family members discover previously unknown parts of their family’s past. There are many families that get involved in this type of reflection and research.
Woven together with a family member’s present life, these stories may not only provide answers but may also create questions about the past, present and the future. Are there personality traits generationally handed down? Are there stories some family members do not wish to share? Do these missing “chapters “ create mysteries?
And when a great author, like Patti-Callahan Henry, does the weaving, the stories draw her readers into the reality she creates. This is exactly what Patti has so beautifully done in The Stories She Left Behind. Her characters come to life in their conversations, thoughts and experiences. What are the secrets they keep? Readers will keep turning the pages to learn these answers. I encourage you to not wait another minute to read The Stories She Left Behind. Audio and print versions are both ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!

I loved Patti Callahan Henry’s other novels so was excited to receive this one as an arc. She does not disappoint. Her ability to build characters through words is simply wonderful. The Story She Left Behind is about loss, love and the stories we tell and share about these things. It’s about legacy and family and the ties that bind us even through loss. Her words created a beautiful picture of the world of her book. And to realize this is somewhat based on a real woman’s life just added to the wonder. I will always recommend this novel!

Overall, this was just OK for me. I liked the central mystery element of the book, but I found the pacing overall to be a little off. I'll still read Patti Callahan Henry's books, but this was not my favorite.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Patti Callahan Henry has such a beautiful gift. Her writing transplanted me right to the places throughout the book. I am so grateful for the gift of getting to read her books.

There were a few things in this book I didn’t love, but they did go along with the storyline. I loved the ending and how everything came together.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. I was so honored to be chosen, and all thoughts are my own!

This book transported me to another world! A world of mystery, hidden stories with a secret language! I loved the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a famous author and the connections made while her daughter was in search for the key to another book. The characters are lovely and I felt all of their emotions in times of struggle and in joy. The writing is so beautiful, perfectly describing the atmospheric setting. The storyline was inspired by the mysterious disappearance of a female author who was never found.

The Story She Left Behind is a historical novel inspired by the life of Barbara Newhall Follett, a child prodigy who published a book at the age of twelve before she disappeared mysteriously at the age of 25.

In 1952 Clara Harrington is still dealing with the disappearance of her mother, who vanished in 1927 when Clara was 8 years old. Her mother was an author who made her own language and sometimes wrote in code. When Clara gets a surprising call from London with news that a satchel of her mother's has been found there, she travels with her young daughter Wynnie to uncover the mystery. They arrive just as the deadly London smog of 1952 begins. The end up traveling with a satchel of Clara's mother out to the countryside along with Charlie Jameson, the man who discovered this satchel in his father's effects. Slowly Clara begins to uncover little pieces of the mystery of her mother's life and disappearance as she and her daughter find mysteries, connections, and delight in the Cumbria countryside.

I wanted to read this novel because I have loved every single book I've read by Patti Callahan Henry. The subject matter of The Story She Left Behind was especially intriguing, with the literary mystery at the center of the story.

This was such a beautifully told story. I highlighted a sentence or passage every few pages in my eBook! This is a very moving book, with passages like:

"She disappeared twenty-five years ago when I was eight years old, and still my mother appears to me every day. It might be in a turn of phrase I use, or in the song of the rising tide behind our house, in my daughter’s creative energy as she gathers moss for a fairy house, or in the clues and messages my mother taught me to look for in the natural world. She seems to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. She is absence, she is presence, and she is mystery. Because of that pervasive energy, I created something in my life that was mine alone. My art was just that— my private place, my passion, my refuge from the larger world that no one else could touch." (eBook location 92).

I don't want to say too much about the plot because there are so many small twists leading to some big twists ... I will just encourage anyone who loves historical fiction, who enjoys literary mysteries, to read this novel. You are certain to enjoy it!

"The Story She Left Behind" tells the story of Clara and her quest to find out more about the disappearance of her famous mother and her secret language.

I really enjoyed the commentary on how women were (mis)treated if they were different than society expected them to be. I personally also really liked reading about Clara's career as a children's book illustrator and thought it complimented the storyline well.

However, ultimately the story was too whimsical and cozy for my personal taste. There were several deeper issues that were almost glossed over due to the magical feeling of the beautiful prose. So while the words were well written, I was left feeling detached from the story. I think there were a lot of missed opportunities to explore and bring light to serious and important issues.

While I tend to prefer less of a magical feel to books, readers who love cozy and whimsical tales will love this one! It is a well written and fleshed out novel that many readers will adore.

The Story She Left Behind is about a daughter, Clara, whose beloved Mother went missing when she was only 8 years old. When she receives a call that her mother left behind her secret language addressed to her and only her, she travels across the ocean in the 1950’s with her daughter, Wynnie, to finally solve the mystery of her missing mother.



The first half of the book had a very strong start but I felt like after that it slowed down a lot, and I wasn’t invested in the romance aspect of the book. I loved the historical aspects and the beautiful descriptions and overall it was a pretty quick read.



Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!

Love of stories oozes out of every word Patti Callahan Henry writes and because of that, I'll read everything she writes. The Story She Left Behind is romantic and ethereal. There's tension but even then, there's warmth.

A pleasant read but thinking back a few weeks, I don't remember the story much. The stand out part was the London fog, but I might have been remembering the scenes in The Crown for that.

The weight of secrets, the power of forgiveness and intergenerational connections.....this story has it all. Eighteen books strong and Patti Callahan Henry still writes amazing stories!!

📖Set against the backdrop of the Great Smog of 1952 in London and the serene Lake District, the
story follows Clara Harrington, an illustrator and single mother, who sets out on a quest to uncover the truth about her mother, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham—a celebrated author who vanished under mysterious circumstances in 1927. Bronwyn's enduring legacy includes a revolutionary book composed in an invented language. Clara's journey is ignited by the discovery of a dictionary that may hold the key to unraveling the secrets of her mother's enigmatic work and disappearance.

📖Upon arriving in London, Clara Harrington and her asthmatic daughter, Wynnie, face immediate danger from the smog, forcing them to flee. This disaster intensifies Clara's quest and also serves as a metaphor for the hidden truths surrounding her mother's mysterious disappearance.

📖I deeply admire how Patti Callahan Henry was able to intertwine Clara’s emotional journey with Bronwyn’s mysterious legacy, creating a beautifully layered narrative. The interplay between past and present, especially through the symbolism of the invented language and the dictionary, stood out to me as a remarkable storytelling choice.

🎧Narrators Julia Whelan (@justjuliawhelan -
favorite narrator) and Theo Solomon (@theo_solomon - new favorite narrator) together deliver a compelling listening experience, skillfully navigating the alternating points of view and a range of accents, both American and British.

Julia Whelan vividly conveys Clara Harrington's emotional journey, imbuing her portrayal with authenticity and depth. Meanwhile, Theo Solomon brings Charlie Jameson to life with effortless charm, perfectly complementing Whelan's performance.

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

The Story She Left Behind is a family mystery/drama with a sprinkle of romance. After her mother's disappearance, our main character, Clara, goes on a quest from South Carolina to London, hoping to discover more about what caused her abandonment.

What worked for me is how this book explores the pressure American women in the early 1900s faced to be the perfect wives and mothers. What did not work was the whimsical nature of the novel. While the writing was lyrical and beautiful, some heavier themes and issues (abandonment, grief, loneliness, etc.) were not fully explored. They seemed to get lost in the whimsical mystery.

3.5 stars! I did not always enjoy the story's sequence, but I really enjoyed the writing, and the mystery paid off in the end.

So many twists and turns - a secret language, a missing mother, and a daughter and granddaughter determined to translate a book. I will hold this one close to me for a long time.