A review by gwenswoons
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this a lot once I finally got into the swing of things — it took me absolutely forever to read the first fifty pages, and then I finally gave up and decided to try it on audio! Julia Whelan’s voice came through on my phone and I breathed a sigh of relief. (I love her — although the male narrator, Theo Solomon, was not a fave for me, and JW’s slight…southern twang?! for Clara’s narration was also a little odd for me, admittedly.) I was able to speed through the rest and get swept up in the storytelling, mystery, and romance of it all. It’s not my favorite book I’ve read this year — not even close — and I think ultimately I’m not the ideal reader for this kind of super-detailed, plotty historical fiction. But it was beautiful in many moments, and I loved the characters over time, their various points of view, and the very special settings where the book takes place.
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