Book Review: The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry has a lot of elements that appealed to me: a lost mother, a story within a story, and a historical event I haven’t read much about, The Great Smog in post-WWII London.  I was immediately pulled in to the story of Clara, her sweet and precocious daughter Wynnie, and their quest to find the truth about what happened to their mother and grandmother, Bronwyn. I enjoyed reading about their journey to London to meet Charlie, whose late father somehow ended up with papers that belonged to Bronwyn, as well as how they unexpectedly found themselves caught up in the deadly Great Smog and their subsequent escape to the countryside.

  

As a lover of historical fiction, I always appreciate the elements that are based on historical fact.  In this case, the character of Bronwyn is based on a real-life author, Barbara Newhall Follet, who also published a novel at a young age and mysteriously disappeared in her 20s.  I hadn’t heard of her before, but after reading this book I want to know more, and I can understand why this mystery sparked a story idea for Callahan Henry. I thought she created a wonderful, intriguing character in Bronwyn, and I also wish that the fictional tale about Emjie was one that I could actually read!  

There was also the bonus of an easter egg from Callahan Henry’s last book, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, that made me smile.  While there’s absolutely no requirement to read that one first, you should still read it if you haven’t!

The writing was beautiful, the characters had depth, and the mystery of what happened to Bronwyn wasn’t easy to predict. I love the way it all came together in the end. This is an engaging, enchanting book that I won’t hesitate to recommend!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5!

Many thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.