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)

Another great book by JoJo Moyes!

This was my 6th book by this author and it was fantastic! I really enjoyed the intertwined stores set back during WWI and the present. Great character development, surprising plot twists with a happy ending, and lovely voices with French, German, and English accents switching back and forth between the two time periods and different countries. I had finished “The Giver of Stars” before this which is also fabulous! I’m going to download my 7th book by her next!

Best and most surprising book I have read

I loved this book!!! The story was unexpected and amazing. I love how it ends.

Amazing

This is the best book I've ever read! Very touching a well preformed. I wish it would not have ended.

Well worth the read

Very interesting tale, nicely woven, well narrated. Another hit by Jo Jo Moyes. I'm downloading yet another title by same author.

Unforgettable!

One of the best books I've ever read, and I read a lot!! From Page 1, you will be engrossed! The twists and turns are beautiful. The narrator is exceptional! Trust me when I say You Want This Book!

WONDERFUL

What made the experience of listening to The Girl You Left Behind the most enjoyable?

The reader was spectacular. So fun to listen to the accents.

What does Clare Corbett and Penny Rawlins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accents give you 'place.' You HAVE to love Sophie and ___________. Simply hearing their voice makes you vested. Excellently read!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

throughout. just a wonderful journey.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. It had well developed characters, moving ethical dilemmas and reasonable resolutions. The story was engrossing. Initially I was jarred when time/voice changed but I found it actually refreshing. I loved the wrap-up. I totally recommend this book. There is a bit of language but it isn't any more than you'd hear at a sporting event--mostly just expletives.

Fantastic, Emotional, and Narration was 10 Stars

This is my first Jojo Moyes Book. It won't be my last. I have listened to several WWI and WWII stories and this is perhaps the most emotional one I've listened too. So well done. Loves both Narrators! Clare Corbett, the French Women was probably the best I've listened too with her dramatic way of feeling the heart wrenching scenes that she portrayed. You've read the details of this story, but no where does it do it justice of how wonderful it is. You will get wrapped up in this and I couldn't stop listening many times. Very worth the credit and I got it on sale. :-)

JoJo Moyes is one of my new favorite authors.

Where does The Girl You Left Behind rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is in my top 5! JoJo really know how to tell a great story. I love all her details and descriptions of everyday things in life.

What other book might you compare The Girl You Left Behind to and why?

Maybe the Storyteller by Jodi Piquot

What does Clare Corbett and Penny Rawlins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They bring their lovely accents

Any additional comments?

I loved all the characters - But Mo was one of the best. I liked her self confidence and wit.

Enjoyable

I liked the story line a great deal. It kept my attention. This was a new take on an old topic. My only complaint was the tone of voice used by the woman reading the part of Sophie bi found her voice rather irritating. Her German male voice was very loud and screeching and her voice for several of the female characters was rather soft. This combination made it difficult to listen to as I found myself needed to frequently adjust the volume.

Love, Art and Wartime

Any additional comments?

This is a serious and ambitious story with two protagonists, Sophie, a french woman during WWI and Liv, a present day British woman. The story weaves their lives together in the most beautiful way. This is storytelling at it's almost best. The narrators had some issues with accents, which was distracting for me (i am very sensitive to vocal authenticity), but they did a pretty good job. By the second half of the book I was hooked. I do recommend this lovely story!