A review by andrearbooks
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

4.0

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes is first of all a book that's been in my book queue for a ridiculous amount of time. In preparation for the upcoming book sale, I'm trying to read the books I've had the longest. That said, I should have read this sooner as it's such a compelling story. This is the second Jojo Moyes I've read that has a historical mystery layer, and she does a really great job of building these stories and connecting them to a present day happening! This story began in Paris during World War I. Sophie's artist husband Edouard is at war, and she is back at home. She is forced to prepare and serve meals (while she and the French residents are on rations) to the German troops in the area. The Kommandant takes a particular liking to a painting Edouard has done of her, but for Sophie this is a lasting connection to her husband she desperately wants to see again. In the present day, the painting resurfaces on Liv's mantle. She knows little of its history, but she has always connected with the women in the painting. As (bad) luck then has it, it is revealed to Liv what this painting actually is, and this sets in motion quite the chain of events. This was such a compelling read of both Sophie and Liv's stories. There was such emotion in each as they navigated love, relationships, and trying to figure out what the "right" thing to do in tough circumstances was. It had an ending that was particularly powerful as the stories came together. This one was an interesting premise in both past and present, and it kept me reading to figure out what was going to happen to the painting, but more than that, it was what would happen to Liv and Sophie.