The Story She Left Behind Audiobook By Patti Callahan Henry cover art

The Story She Left Behind

A Novel

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The Story She Left Behind

By: Patti Callahan Henry
Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Theo Solomon
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About this listen

“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.

©2025 Patti Callahan Henry (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio
Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Feel-Good England
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Critic reviews

Indie Next April 2025 Pick

LibraryReads March 2025 Pick

Beautiful Writing • Captivating Storyline • Masterful Narration • Historical Elements • Emotional Depth
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What a totally awesome book. Narration was superb. I would highly recommend this book as it is one of the best book I’ve read in years.

Outstanding

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Loved everything about it. I was captivated within the first ten minutes. I especially loved Winnie.

This is the best book I’ve listened to this year. Enjoy!

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This is a book I will think about for a long time after finishing. The language was eloquent and lyrical, but the story itself was also captivating. This is a gorgeous story of love, forgiveness, and appreciation of art and nature. It examines what it means to be family and what we do for those we love. The landscape of both South Carolina and Cumbria are characters in the novel and the descriptions make me want to visit both. This was a unique story that wound history with charm and whimsy.

Stunningly lyrical and beautiful

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The thing I love most about this book is how beautifully it represented the relationship between a mother and her only child daughter, as I have a very special relationship with my only child daughter. As a little girl my daughter loved when I read to her the stories of Beatrix Potter. We also share a love of the coastal lands off Georgia and North Carolina—and we love visiting England almost as much. This book was a wonderful mixture of all these things!

Beautiful imagery and use of words.

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If you’re looking for a warm hug of a book, this is it. I love the dual narration, and Julia Whelan is the queen as usual!

A warm hug

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This book brought you into the hearts of the characters. The settings were described with so much detail it transported you to that place, London, South Carolina, the Lake District of England. Beautifully crafted!

Beautiful storytelling!

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This was my second book of Patti’s to listen to and my heart is deeply touched by the beauty and meaning tucked inside this interesting and surprising story. I also truly appreciate the authors direct connection with us as readers. Her voice conveys her heart and she feels like a friend. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to listen to this story as well as the story of Flora Lea. Thank you, Patti! 💙

Meaningful

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Based on many true events! Excellent narration. Loved this story;) Liked the duo for narration

Great historical fiction

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Listening on Audible, we were transported to the Lake District, into interchange with the wondrous characters, inspired and renewed to live creatively, and fully! Thank you, Patti! Never stop writing, and reminding us of the mysterious beautiful power of forgiveness!!!

An Exquisite Story

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A hint of Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, with the sense of Miss Perrigrines Home for Peculiar Children, a little Matilda.... a whimsical story of accepting the faults of your parents and finding how that shaped you beyond the holes left behind.

Stories for Glorious Misfits

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