The Girl You Left Behind

By: Jojo Moyes

Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Penny Rawlins

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of Me Before You, a spellbinding love story of two women separated by a century but united in their determination to fight for what they love most

France, 1916: Artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his young wife, Sophie, to fight at the front. When their small town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Edouard's portrait of Sophie draws the eye of the new Kommandant. As the officer's dangerous obsession deepens, Sophie will risk everything - her family, her reputation, and her life - to see her husband again.

Almost a century later, Sophie's portrait is given to Liv Halston by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. A chance encounter reveals the painting's true worth, and a battle begins for who its legitimate owner is - putting Liv's belief in what is right to the ultimate test.

Like Sarah Blake's The Postmistress and Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key, The Girl You Left Behind is a breathtaking story of love, loss, and sacrifice told with Moyes's signature ability to capture our hearts.

©2013 Jojo Moyes (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Vibrant and gripping.” (People Magazine, three stars)

"Jojo Moyes expertly weaves a bittersweet tale in this irresistible novel, taking careful interest in the dark corners that exist within great love stories, and the trickiness of simple happy endings. A-" (Entertainment Weekly)

“Moyes writes delicious plots, with characters so clearly imagined they leap off the pages in high-definition prose.... Clever plot turns make for a satisfying ending.... Moyes brings fresh strokes to this story about the power of art and love to transcend what imprisons us. Romantics looking for a story set amid the politics of plundered art couldn't do much better than The Girl You Left Behind.” (USA Today, three and a half stars)

Jojo Moyes does it again

The girl you left behind is a wonderful WW1 story. Well written and preformed. Jojo Moyes does not disappoint.

Beautiful story

It’s nice to see a historical fiction book on WWI with the weaving of bright colorful art in the midst of cold dreary days during the war.

Heart wrenching story. Rich characters.

Great story. An abrupt transition in part two, but it all came together as the intertwined history was revealed. The voice actor was excellent except for the jolting transitions between chapters, a couple of the male voices and the American accents, which were inconsistent (there are a lot of voices). I would have preferred an ending that involved a museum, but will say no more. Overall, another fabulous story by the author.

Poignant Story

Well, I don't know that I would have made the same decision Liv did - to possibly loss everything for an object. Maybe I have not own an object that I was that passionate about. But it turned out well for her in the end. I enjoyed how smoothly Moyes transition from the past to the present to give us the depth of the story. Sophie and Liv seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Both stubbornly standing on the principles they felt were best at the time. Clare Corbett, Penny Rawlins were wonderful narrators and brought the story to life. I always love Jojo Moyes books.

A proper story

This book received high praise in a recent Facebook conversation, so I thought I would take a punt. I hunted it down on Audible and had a listen.

I’d have to agree with the Facebook reviewers, it is a really good, engaging story and, when life’s routines demanded that I switch it off (e.g. arriving at work) I was usually disappointed because I wanted to keep on listening.

It’s all about a painting: The story takes place in two different settings: Occupied France during World War 1 and London in the present day. We also have two heroines (one in each era), two heroes, and a couple of villains. The eponymous painting is of our First World War heroine, Sophie. She is the owner of a hotel (Le Coq Rouge) in an occupied village in rural France. The picture had been painted before the war by her husband, Edouard, who is away fighting the Germans.

The most senior German officer in Sophie’s town is Freidrich, a Kommandant who takes his meals at the hotel and takes a liking to Sophie and her painting.

Then we suddenly switch to modern London to meet Olivia, whose architect husband David died unexpectedly 4 years earlier. She is still grieving his loss, and her favourite possession is the painting of Sophie, which David had bought from an American woman.

I won’t reveal too much more of the plot, but from then on the story follows Olivia’s battle to keep the painting when a legal action is initiated by Sophie’s relatives, who claim that the picture was stolen by the Germans.

It is very well written, with good characterisation and dialogue, and plenty of twists and turns. I think it would make a good film (incidentally, if a film was made I think it might be categorised as a ‘chick flick’). The narrators told the story very well in the sense that they played the roles convincingly, but they also made lots of mistakes and this distracted and irritated me a bit, but this is a churlish criticism of a really good listen.

really liked this book

First time author, JoJoMoyes, a really creative, imaginative book, I really liked this one and recommend it highly. The title of the book "The Girl You Left Behind" is the name of a portrait painted by a French artist of his soon to be wife just before the start of World War I. The story is of the lives of the couple as well as others that came in contact with the painting over the next 100 years. The author weaves quite the web in telling the story. I'll look forward to my next by JoJo Moyes.

this book was very good. I think the settings

in t h e story were really great. the concept was great. I thought the ending was not very believe able.

This is my new favorite!

What a story!,Made all more special because it is plucked from history,
and all the more alive because of the flawless narration of Clare Corbett and Penny Rawlins, I couldn't stop listening! A beautiful and moving love story that evolves from a most horrific time in the history of mankind, it is a perfect book for Audible to present. I loved it!

Wonderful!

This is one of the best audible books I've ever listened to. The story is read so convincingly that you feel you are in 1917 France. These characters and their stories are compelling and sympathetic. I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl You Left Behind.

DEFINITELY earns a perfect rating

This story is so rich, and so compelling. I found myself listening to this every chance I got - almost canceling plans just to keep going! It's also beautifully performed - the narrators handle all the characters emotions and depth and accents really well.

This would be the audiobook I would suggest to non-audiobook listeners, to get them hooked too!