The Story She Left Behind is a compelling story of family secrets, abandonment, and reconciliation.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction (1952), Family Drama, Secrets, Mothers/Daughters, South Carolina (USA) and London (city and countryside)

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My Summary:

Clara’s childhood is shattered when her mother, the famous author Bronwyn Newcastle, disappears. Although a body has never been found, Clara would like to know what happened. One day, Clara receives a call from Charlie Jameson in London claiming to have an old satchel which contains her mother’s work. Once convinced that this call from a stranger is not a hoax, Clara and her eight-year-old daughter travel to London in the hope that this discovery will solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. They arrive in London right as the city is experiencing the deadly Great Smog event of 1952. In a harrowing drive through thick fog, Charlie whisks Clara and her daughter safely away to his estate in the country. Will Clara find the answers she is looking for?

My Thoughts:

Secrets

A missing mother and the mystery of her literary work drive the action of this story. Clara uses all her savings to finance the trip to meet this stranger and explore the possibility of finding answers to her mother’s disappearance. Through many twists and turns, secrets are revealed.

Great Smog

Complicating everything from transportation to visibility is London’s Great Smog event of 1952. Clara’s daughter has severe asthma, and the sudden decline in air quality puts her in great danger. Their escape from London to the country is a matter of life and death for the daughter. The author uses vivid details to describe the fog, the conditions it creates, and the danger it presents. Terrible circumstances.

Mothers and Daughters

For a good part of the story, I questioned Clara’s decisions. From sightseeing in a strange city with poor visibility to risking her daughter’s life by exposing her to the air pollution to not carrying medication with her, I wondered how this would turn out. Fortunately, Charlie saves the day on multiple occasions.

In the past timeline, I also questioned why Clara’s mother would abandon her daughter and husband. An explanation is given, and even though it makes some sense, it’s difficult to imagine making the same decisions yourself.

Content Consideration: severe asthma, abandonment, fire

Recommending The Story She Left Behind:

Fans of page-turning historical fiction with sides of mystery and family drama will appreciate The Story She Left Behind. Its ambitious content provides a thought-provoking, compelling read from start to finish.

Related: Other books by the author I’ve enjoyed: The Secret Book of Flora Lea, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Surviving Savannah (my favorite).

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

More Information Here

Meet the Author of The Story She Left Behind, Patti Callahan Henry

Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling novelist of fifteen novels.

Growing up in Philadelphia as the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Patti learned early the value of storytelling. At the age of twelve, her family moved to South Florida where Patti found the sanctuary of libraries and began her slow but steady journey into understanding the power of story to navigate confusing times in life.

Patti attended Auburn University for her undergraduate work, and Georgia State University for her graduate degree. Once a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, she now writes full time.

The mother of three children, she now lives in both Mountain Brook, Alabama and Bluffton, South Carolina with her husband.

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