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About The Book

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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

Inspired by a true literary mystery, the 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, vanishes 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 disappearance 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 beloved 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 disappearance, 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.

“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).

About The Author

Photography by Liesa Cole Photography

Patti Callahan Henry is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels. She is also a podcast host of original content and the cohost and cocreator of the popular weekly online Friends and Fiction live web show and podcast. Published in over twenty languages, her work has also been in numerous anthologies, articles, an audible original, and short story collections. Once a pediatric clinical nurse specialist she now writes full time in Mountain Brook, Alabama. She is married to Pat Henry, the mother of three, and a grandmother of three. 

About The Readers

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 18, 2025)
  • Runtime: 12 hours
  • ISBN13: 9781668096307

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Raves and Reviews

“In this gorgeous ode to books and storytellers, Patti Callahan Henry shows that literature lives inside us and can unite us despite the odds. Through war, young love, a sister’s remorse, and a mysterious land called Whisperwood, I was torn between savoring each word and tearing through the pages to learn what happened next. Pure magic!”
— JANET SKESLIEN CHARLESNew York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library

“[A] bittersweet tale of loss, destiny, and the strings of deep love that bind us together across the years. The terror and heartbreak of the World War II children’s evacuation of London collide with the dangling threads of an unsolved mystery that picks up nearly two decades later at the dawn of the Swinging Sixties. This heartrending, captivating tale of family, first love, and fate will sweep you away.”
— KRISTIN HARMELNew York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter and The Forest of Vanishing Stars

“Affecting . . . Henry’s offering shines most in its exploration of the ways relationships grow and adapt to time and trauma, making for a poignant meditation on the bonds of sisterhood. This captivates.”
Publishers Weekly

“A spellbinding tale of hope and perseverance . . . as enchanting and whimsical as the Whisperwood fairy tale hidden within its pages. It reminds us that a happily-ever-after isn’t out of reach—so long as we heed the tiny voice within, whispering that the real magic of the story may be closer than we think.”
— SARAH PENNERNew York Times bestselling author of The London Séance Society and The Lost Apothecary

“A world war and a fairy tale collide in the British countryside in 1940—and Patti Callahan Henry is the perfect novelist to explore how the living are forever changed. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a treasure: moving, surprising, and deeply evocative of an England that every day walked the tightrope between heartbreak and hope.”
CHRIS BOHJALIAN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lioness and The Flight Attendant

“Two sisters, dual time periods, a magical secret place, an abiding mystery . . . an enchanting story of survival against all odds. With her trademark warmth and a feather-light touch, Patti Callahan Henry weaves together events both real and imagined. Transporting, heartfelt, and atmospheric.”
— CHRISTINA BAKER KLINENew York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and The Exiles

“Deft, lyrical, and supremely satisfying, The Secret Book of Flora Lea isn’t so much a departure for Patti Callahan Henry as it is a culmination of her gifts as a novelist. . . . Callahan’s plot will keep you guessing even as her characters steal your heart. I loved it.”
PAULA McLAIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife and When the Stars Go Dark

“A beguiling blend of hope, mystery, and true familial love. It exposes the deep wounds of a family tragically separated because of war. Told in an utterly fresh way with dual timelines and a host of unforgettable characters, this is a story that is both necessary and satisfying through the last page. Powerful and spellbinding!”
— SADEQUA JOHNSON, bestselling author of The House of Eve and The Yellow Wife

“A fantastical tale of the power of stories and the bond between sisters . . . I absolutely loved this book.”
— JAMIE FORDNew York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

“At the heart of this novel is a shattering loss that irrevocably changes the lives of a cast of complex, delightful characters. Henry is a born storyteller, keeping the reader on tenterhooks as she expertly unveils the truths and lies that drive this gripping, magical tale.”
— FIONA DAVISNew York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

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