The Girl You Left Behind
The No 1 bestselling love story from Jojo Moyes
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4.5 • 262 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
THE HEARTBREAKING NO. 1 BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF ME BEFORE YOU
'A masterclass in storytelling that fans of Me Before You will adore' ELLE
'Quite simply one of the best books I've read' 5***** READER REVIEW
'Wonderfully well-written and completely engrossing' DAILY MAIL
'Will make you laugh, cry and ignore everyone around you' 5***** READER REVIEW
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France, 1916.
While her adored husband Edouard fights on the front, all Sophie has of him is the beautiful portrait he painted for her.
But when the picture catches the eye of the village Kommandant, he cannot keep away from its subject, and Sophie is forced to make a terrible decision . . .
Almost a century later, 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.
But will its troubled history turn Liv's life upside down all over again?
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'Another heart-stoppingly brilliant novel from Jojo Moyes' Closer
'It will make you think long after you turn the final page' Daily Mail
'A truly beautiful book . . . will make you laugh, cry and ignore everyone around you as you won't be able to put it down!' 5***** Reader Review
'Beware, once you pick up this book you will not be able to put it down!' 5***** Reader Review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Moyes's enchanting latest (after Me Before You) entwines two love stories set 90 years apart, connected by a painting called The Girl You Left Behind. In 1916, 22-year-old Sophie Lef vre struggles against a new German commandant in her occupied village in northern France. Trying to keep her family safe and their restaurant open while her and her sister's husbands are away, Sophie makes greater and greater sacrifices as her living conditions grow more spartan. But when things reach their lowest, she must decide whether to gamble everything on the German commandant's powerful fascination with her husband's portrait of her. Jumping ahead to London in 2006, the story turns to 32-year-old Liv Halston, whose architect husband David bought Sophie's painting for Liv shortly before he died in an accident. Still deep in the throes of grief four years after his death, Liv now faces eviction from the beautiful, heavily taxed house he built. But an unlikely reunion with a former classmate and the unexpected entrance of a new man, Paul, into Liv's life make her feel better than she has since David died until a restitution company tries to claim The Girl You Left Behind. An unfortunate coincidence twists the knife deeper, and Liv is forced to fight tooth and nail for what she has come to love most in the world. Lovely and wry, Moyes's newest is captivating and bittersweet.
Customer Reviews
So glad I didn't give up on this author!
The first of Moyes books I read was Ship of Brides...which I found lacklustre. I nearly turned away from her but read one plus one, which was captivating, if a bit predictable. I am indeed so glad I stuck with her! The Girl is a fabulous book, beautifully crafted and well researched. The tale demands you keep reading until it's finished.
Not many books keep me awake until 4am, this one did. Following a tale of modern love concurrently with love one hundred years in the past, the author creates depth and multiple layers of changing morality. I'm sure book clubs will have a field day comparing the judgemental nature of wartime against contemporary protests and opinion making.
This is the first time I've read a book that clearly showed how the innocent are made complicit in personal immorality during war.
Great characters, well paced story. I'm going to sleep now!
Good read
Interesting story kept me guessing, would recommend
Perfect holiday read
Really connected with the characters. Highly recommend.