What We Leave Behind

I watch for a moment, my heart explodes. This little girl, dressed in white, her face bright as she swirls and twirls, dancing in the sunshine. ‘Mummy!’ she says, running towards me. I catch her, no question. ‘Mummy, you’re here,’ she says.’ And I hold her tight.


Imagine you get home one day… and waiting for you on your doorstep is a gift.


It is wrapped beautifully, and inside is a notebook, its pages empty. There is no message.


But its sender has a story to tell.


About a secret. About the little girl you once were. About everything you know about your family.


The gifts keep arriving. But when tragedy strikes – leaving your beloved only daughter fighting for her life – the person who has been sending the gifts will have no choice but to come forward. And to finally tell the truth.


Even if it’s the very thing that will tear your family apart…


A heartbreakingly beautiful novel about motherhood, loss and family secrets, for fans of Kerry Fisher, Susan Lewis and Jodi Picoult.


Readers are loving What We Leave Behind:

‘I am completely at a loss for words! This book is incredible from start to finish!... Characters that you truly bond with and a gritty, captivating storyline that makes you want to turn the pages faster and faster but a writing style so perfect that you can't skip a single word… absolutely fantastic! My favourite of Anna's by far! 10/10.’ Tishylou’s World ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘I absolutely LOVE this wonderfully enthralling story about family, motherhood and friendship… An absolutely unmissable read for me… I am in awe of the talent this author has for writing such absorbing and captivating stories and I confess to being tearful on more than one occasion… I recommend this novel as truly excellent, a 5* read in every possible way.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Heartfelt, beautifully written and left me sobbing. A truly remarkable read that I could not put down, I was hooked from the very first page.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Wow!!! Where to even begin??? What an absolutely fantastic and gripping book!!!... Absolute roller-coaster ride of emotions!!!… Had me flying through the pages and filled with suspense… I have definitely found another favourite author.’ Bookworm86 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Anna Mansell is truly one of my favourite writers… She writes with such emotion and flair that it’s impossible not to fall head over heels for her books... I struggled to put this book down. A true page turner.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘OMG… Wowzers, I couldn't get enough of it… A stunning read… One to remember.’ Nicki’s Book Blog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘What an absolute heart-wrenching and emotional read. I truly didn’t see where the author was going with the plot, and it truly snuck up on me… A great storyline, and totally unexpected. This book will capture every emotion that you have, and it captivated me from page one… Unforgettable.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Anna Mansell is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and this book was the icing on the cake. I absolutely loved it. This was an excellent and at times heart wrenching story that pulled me right into it from the first page.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘I can't say how much I loved this story!! Such a feel-good book. Had me hooked from the very beginning.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘I loved this story! The details are incredible and it flows smoothly from each character in this puzzle needed to be solved!… Truly had me reading until I learned the truth! Excellent!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Fabulous. This book captures your heart… I got so engrossed in this story… Enjoy the ride: it’s a good one.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐