The Girl You Left Behind is a hauntingly romantic and utterly irresistible new weepy from Jojo Moyes, author of the Richard and Judy bestseller, Me Before You.

What happened to the girl you left behind?

France, 1916. Sophie Lefevre must keep her family safe whilst her adored husband Edouard fights at the front. When she is ordered to serve the German officers who descend on her hotel each evening, her home becomes riven by fierce tensions. And from the moment the new Kommandant sets eyes on Sophie's portrait - painted by Edouard - a dangerous obsession is born, which will lead Sophie to make a dark and terrible decision.

Almost a century later, and Sophie's portrait hangs in the home of Liv Halston, a wedding gift from her young husband before he died. A chance encounter reveals the painting's true worth, and its troubled history. A history that is about to resurface and turn Liv's life upside down all over again . . .

In THE GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for what they love most - whatever the cost.

When my proof copy of Jojo Moyes' latest novel; The Girl You Left Behind dropped through my letterbox last week, I gave out a little squeal of excitement.  For many years now Jojo Moyes has been one of my favourite authors - each of her novels has thrilled me, and left me feeling that she's never going to top this.  Her last novel; Me Before You, which I reviewed on my blog here was a huge success for her, and I really did think that it was her best.  However, having just spent the last few days completely entranced by The Girl You Left Behind, my opinion has changed - THIS ONE is her best!

Fab review Anne, I'm saving this as a treat so glad to hear you think it's her best yet.

 I'm glad to hear it lives up to expectations - really looking forward to starting this one.

She's very prolific isn't she?  Looking forward to reading this eventually, although I have a lot of her backlist to catch up on.  Great review Anne.

 What an enticing review - can't wait to start this one now I've been so tempted.....when I've finished the one I'm reading - that's when I'll read this one

Thank you once again Anne

Loved this one - not as much as Me Before You - but still streets ahead of the a lot of the other dual timeframe novels that are around at the moment.  Neither strand felt contrived or just there to service the other one.  Despite a rather heavy reliance on co-incidence at times, I thought the two timeframes and storylines were blended together seamlessly and I was happy to move from one to the other as the story unfolded.   I have to say that for most of the book I couldn't quite understand Liv's stubborn determination to hang on to the painting once she was aware of its tragic heritage, but as the story reached its final stages it became obvious that nothing was clear-cut and not everyone was acting with the most honourable of motives.

I fell in love with both Sophie and Liv's stories and was desperate for the ownership of the painting to be resolved in a fair and amicable way.  I found it an emotional read (though not a 'weepy', as described in the blurb), but not without flashes of humour - I loved the proud and eccentric villagers in Sophie's home town, as well as the delightfully batty Marianne Andrews. 

I wasn't exactly blown away by Jojo Moyes' early books (apart from Ship of Brides), but her last three have all been outstanding.

 I loved it too. Many thanks Anne for the copy. I've PM'd you.

oh one for the wish list

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it just as gripping as Me before you, however like Anne I felt a bit disappointed by the sudden change in time at the beginning of part two but soon got back into the story.  I usually read around fifty pages a day but got through the 500+ pages in two days.

Just added to the wishlist

Being a contrary so-and-so, I have to admit I was a little worried when I started this one -  I wasn’t as drawn in by Sophie Lefevre’s wartime story as other reviewers, found it all a little pedestrian and my interest was wandering a little. But it did pick up, and fairly quickly and dramatically.  I enjoyed Liv’s modern story more – it only starts a fair way into the book, IMO it could have been introduced rather earlier – but then I found the links with Sophie’s story were exceptionally well handled. I enjoyed the book greatly – the author has a style and confidence that I find quite compelling – but it really wasn’t one of my very top reads by her. 

lainy_79:

Just added to the wishlist

Are you not on the ML list?

suzann2:

lainy_79:

Just added to the wishlist

Are you not on the ML list?

Yes she is Susan.  I think Lainy is still a little jet lagged. 

Lol I am is it there? *handface!  Off to look - cheap humour people you can't pay for this kind of behaviour :D xx

Just finished this last night so wanted to add my review:

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another wonderful triumph for the sensational Ms Moyes.

A dual time narrative story, although instead of changing narrative rapidly between eras as is often the style, the historical part lets you get deeply involved for about 150 pages before casting you into the 21st century, then the modern story takes over with brief revisits to the past emerging here and there, it works very well making sure you are deeply immersed in the story of Sophie before meeting her modern day contemporary Liv..

Set in 1916 the first world war is raging throughout Europe and in occupied France Sophie and her sister Helene run what remains of the family hotel whilst their husbands are away fighting the Boche. We experience the hardship of life in a small French town under German occupation, the deprivations and worries and the small attempts at resistance which make life seem liveable. As Sophie works to feed the ungrateful and increasingly demanding German troops occupying the town she reminisces about her brief marriage to the love of her life, artist husband Edouard Lefevre whose portrait of her, the girl he left behind, hangs in the hall of the hotel as a constant reminder of their devotion to each other.

Worries for his safety almost destroy Sophies sanity - there is practically nothing she wouldn't do to ensure his safe return to her.

Back in modern day London Liv is young woman with worries of her own, recently widowed the death of her successful architect husband David has caused not only grief but financial stress as she battles to make ends meet and keep the stunning designer home he built for them.

As she battles to overcome her loss she is watched over by a painting given to her on their honeymoon - The girl he left behind hangs on her bedroom wall, bringing back treasured memories of better days.

And thus the 2 stories become interlinked, and the twin themes of love lost and deciding how far you will go to preserve memories and past love weaves an intriguing and pare turning story.

I literally couldn't put this book down - sent to me by a friend, I picked it up the minute it plopped through my letterbox and despite already being half way through another book and with a teetering To be read pile waiting, I picked it up, read a few sentences and was hooked.

The whole story keeps you wanting to read just a few more pages, lost of lovely well thought out twists and turns to keep you guessing and of course the inevitable box of tissues needed at least in one part in particular. The end is superbly satisfying and well crafted and the whole book is a sheer delight to read.

Jojo MoyesJojo Moyes previous book Me before youMe Before You was most definitely one of my top books of this year, and The girl you left behind will join it, although I do think of the 2 her previous book was marginally the best - the emotional connection I felt with that was intense and all consuming.

Although I adored every word of the girl you left behind, the occupied France setting in a small hotel reminded me just a touch TOO much of the 1970s tv comedy series 'Allo 'allo and this cast a vague hint of farce over the parts in occupied France which I felt a touch uneasy with being such an emotive subject. But thats probably just me and I'm sure was unintentional. It would however make me rate it 9/10 rather than the 10/10 I gave the previous book - still amazing writing and storytelling though.