The Story She Left Behind - by Patti Callahan Henry (Hardcover)

About the Book

"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 insatiable: her beautiful mother. 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 disaster--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. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind."--

Book Synopsis

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Indie Next April 2025 Pick - LibraryReads March 2025 Pick

"Brilliant, riveting, so beautifully written, impossible to put down." --Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter's search for them both.

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 insatiable: her beautiful mother.

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. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.

Told in Patti Callahan Henry's lyrical, enchanting prose, The Story She Left Behind is a captivating novel of mystery and family legacy that captures the profound longing for a mother and the evergreen allure of secrets.

Review Quotes

"Brilliant, riveting, so beautifully written, impossible to put down. I wanted to know, needed to know, about the strange manuscript left to a daughter, and the odyssey it sent her on." -Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels

"Patti Callahan Henry's engaging, compassionate new novel honors the magical way words and stories create meaning in our often messy lives. Rooted in vivid landscapes, endearing characters, and an intriguing mystery inspired by actual historical events, The Story She Left Behind offers something for every reader. Book clubs will delight in this celebration of family, hope, forgiveness, and the tender generosity of abiding love." --Shelley Read, International bestselling author of Go As A River

"The Story She Left Behind is an intriguing novel that reminds us that the power of love and the power of words are one and the same. Patti Callahan Henry introduces us to a missing mother, her grieving daughter and their entwined, unforgettable journeys. Inspired by an unsolved literary mystery, and layered with magical storytelling it is both real and imaginative--in the way of all great fiction. Not to be missed!" --Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and The Frozen River

"The spectacular Patti Callahan Henry is at the height of her literary powers with The Story She Left Behind. Bronwyn's story, steeped in secrets and an unsolved family mystery, is emotional and atmospheric. The author paints the dual settings, languid South Carolina in America and the haunting Lake District of England with color and veracity. This mother-daughter story is one for the ages." --Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

"Once again, Patti Callahan Henry proves that she is a magician with words. In her newest novel, she conjures a story that is a lovely mix of so many elements sure to please her universe of readers, a magical mosaic of adventure, suspense, romance, mystery, and even a sprinkle of make-believe. Graceful in its telling and so very wise in its insights, The Story She Left Behind is a book that will capture your heart, lift your spirits, and delight your soul." --William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember

About the Author

Patti Callahan Henry is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of several novels, including Surviving Savannah and Becoming Mrs. Lewis. She is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Harper Lee Award for Alabama's Distinguished Writer of the Year Award, and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year. She is the cohost and cocreator of the popular weekly online live web show and podcast Friends and Fiction. She lives in Alabama and South Carolina with her family. Find out more at PattiCallahanHenry.com.