Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham wrote her book The Middle Place when she was eight. Filled with a magical setting and secret language, the book was published in 1909 when Bronwyn was twelve. By 1927, the former child prodigy author was married, had an eight-year-old daughter Clara, and vanished. The sequel she left behind was unreadable as it needed the translation of Bronwyn's special language. In 1952, Clara, still haunted by the loss of her mother, illustrates children's books and is raising her eight-year-old daughter Wynnie in her hometown of Bluffton, South Carolina. In London, Charlie Jameson is sorting through his late father's library and seems to have discovered Bronwyn's dictionary of her language with a note for Clara. Clara and Wynnie travel to London during what would be known as the Great Fog of 1952 and then go to the Jameson country home in the Lake District. This picturesque setting feels familiar to Clara, who seeks answers to her mother's disappearance.
Patti Callahan Henry's The Story She Left Behind takes you on a beautiful journey. From Clara's pain to the dangerous, fogged-in London and the tranquility of the English countryside, the author's prose is rich and captivating. It is an emotional story with well-developed characters dealing with grief and longing. Wynnie, a child wise beyond her years, touched my heart. It's a tale of family, love, loss, and forgiveness. I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to Atria Books for the advance copy of this moving book.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Historical Fiction.
Publication Date: March 18, 2025.
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