The Girl You Left Behind: A Novel

Full disclosure: I am an incontrovertible Jojo Moyes fan. After reading her previous novel, Me Before You, I was hooked on her writing and vowed I would read everything she writes. I was a little trepidatious about this new book as it was so completely different from Me Before You. But, I'm happy to say that it is just as compelling and engaging despite its very different story and characters. The book is split into two parts: Part 1 takes place in a small French village that has been occupied by the German army during World War I and concerns a pair of sisters, Sophie and Helene (both of whose husbands are off fighting) who will do anything to protect their families. Part 2 takes place in contemporary London and features a newly-widowed woman who will do what she must to protect a painting gifted to her by her recently-deceased husband. The painting in question, called The Girl You Left Behind, was created by Sophie's artist husband. How it comes to into Liv's possession in 21st century London (and whether Liv will be able to keep it) is the central conceit of the novel. I know very little about World War I but it's clear that Jojo Moyes did her homework on the era. Her descriptions of life in the small French village rang so true. Life was so painful for the non-German residents that when the Kommandant of the German army reaches out to befriend Sophie, you can almost feel how conflicted she is: if she befriends him, she might be able to protect her husband while feeling the wrath of the French citizens; if she doesn't, her beloved may be lost to her forever. Meanwhile, the painting is the only item in Liv's life that makes her feel happy and secure; it is also one of the few things that reminds her of her husband. Now, descendants of Sophie's family are trying to wrest it from her...she doesn't understand but she won't give it up without a fight. Lucky for her, a former New York cop named Paul appears ready to help...until he realizes that one of his clients is the person trying to take the painting away from Liv. The story (both parts) by Jojo Moyes is rich, detailed and emotional. At first, I felt a jolt when Part 1 ended. I wasn't ready to leave 1916 France! And, moving on to contemporary London, Liv seemed so sad and depressed all the time. But, as I read on, I became more and more involved in Liv's story, her budding relationship with Paul (with whom I fell madly in love) and her fight to save the painting. I loved this book. It was so compelling. I loved seeing the choices made by these strong women and how they would fight to the death to do the right thing. If you love well-written fiction and engaging characters, you will love this novel.

This novel has so many facets: two love stories; a mystery; morality and survival during wartime; art theft and restitution. There really aren't any clear black and white characters, situations, or solutions, and that's one reason why I liked this book so much. It makes one think, and wonder what you would Robin the same situation. Sophie, a Parisian shopgirl, meets and poses for Edouard Lefevre, a young artist in the Matisse school. They fall in love, marry, and are soon separated by World War 1: Edouard to serve in the French army, and Sophie to return to her village, running her family's inn with her sister Helene and caring for her younger brother and Helene's two children. When their village is occupied by the Germans, the Kommandant orders Sophie and Helene to cook for him and his officers each night, a situation that creates suspicion and distrust among her neighbors. This already fraught situation is compounded as the Kommandant reveals himself as a lover of art and culture, and is quite taken with Sophie's portrait, and its subject. When Sophie learns that Edouard has been captured and sent to a work camp where he will almost certainly die, she appeals to the Kommandant and makes an impossible choice. One hundred years later, Sophie's portrait is hanging in the London home of Olivia, the young widow of an architect who died suddenly at 38. David had purchased this portrait of Sophie as a wedding gift for Liv, and she loves it more than anything else in the world. However, the portrait has recently been identified as an artwork stolen during wartime. The auction prices of artworks by Lefevre have hit new records, and the Lefevre family have hired a London firm to recover the painting. Sophie and Liv are both strong, memorable, and well-developed characters. They are in very difficult situations and are faced with agonizing choices. Even many of the minor characters emerge as complete and complex people: Mo, Liv's accidental roommate; Helene, Sophie's sister; Liliane, the despised German collaborator in their village; the Kommandant; and Paul, the investigator hired by the Lefevre family. While I feel that the Sophie/Edouard storyline is the stronger of the two, the Liv's story is also intriguing and overall the book kept me turning pages into the wee hours to find out the ending - and there were a few surprises, too. All in all, this is a very good read.

I absolutely loved The Girl You Left Behind! The story was exactly my type—beautifully written, emotional, and deeply engaging. The dual timelines kept me hooked, and I loved how the past and present were woven together so seamlessly. The characters felt real, and their struggles were heart-wrenching yet inspiring. Jojo Moyes did an amazing job bringing history and romance together. Highly recommend!

Ich möchte erst garnicht verschiedene Bücher von Jojo Moyes vergleichen, weil es schlicht keinen Sinn macht. Nur weil es mich nicht so berührt hat wie "me before you", ist "the girl you left behind" nicht weniger gut - es ist halt anders. Ich finde sie hat sehr geschickt beide Geschichten kombiniert. Der erste Teil der um 1912 ich Frankreich spielt und das harte Leben im Krieg zeigt, überleben mit dem Mindesten, die Ungewissheit ob der Ehemann gesund von der Kriegsfront zurück kehrt usw. Teil 2 in 2006, eine junge Witwe die den Weg nicht zurück ins Leben findet und durch ein Gemälde alles zu verlieren droht, was sie liebt. Und die Herausforderung, beide Geschichten miteinander zu verbinden. Ich fand den 1. Teil emotionaler und spannender und hätte komplett bei Sophie's Lebensgeschichte bleiben können. Teil 2 fing für mich etwas schleppend an aber mit der Zeit habe ich mich doch sehr emotional involviert und war gespannt wie beide Geschichten weiter gehen bzw. enden. Auch wenn ich nicht Tränen vergießen musste, hat mich die Geschichte berührt und ich habe das Buch in 3 Tagen verschlungen. Etwaige Übersetzungsfehler könnte ich nicht feststellen, sie müssen korrigiert worden sein. Insgesamt war es gut und anschaulich geschrieben und weder zu kitschig noch zu absehbar. Ich hab es genossen. Aber bitte versucht es nicht mit "ein ganzes halbes Jahr" zu vergleichen.

A good read. I enjoyed the book.

Livre arrivé en bon état, dans les temps. J'ai beaucoup aimé la narration en anglais, facile à comprendre et sitôt fini, je l'ai donné à une amie qui pourra aussi profiter de cette lecture.

Un romanzo in lingua inglese utile per consolidare la conoscenza della lingua.