The Girl You Left Behind, by Jojo Moyes

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What happened to the girl you left behind?

In 1916 French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything - her family, reputation and life - in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.

Nearly a century later and Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting's dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened...

In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most - whatever the cost.





I love Jojo Moyes.  She makes her characters so real and imperfect and TRUE.  I love how she intertwined the lives of Sophie and Liv through the painting and went back and forth between their stories.

Like Me Before You and Honeymoon in Paris, The Girl You Left Behind is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel.   I cried several times, especially near the end.  Thankfully, I wasn't as emotionally overcome as when I read Me Before You; there is more of a sense of relief and hope in this story than in her previous work.

There is one continuity problem between The Girl You Left Behind and Honeymoon in Paris regarding how Liv's husband purchases the painting, but it doesn't affect the story.

I will definitely purchase this book for my personal collection.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty

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Release date: July 30, 2013

At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died...

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive...

Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.




I was first drawn to this book by its cover: it's a physical incarnation of what happens when you discover something that changes your life and your world falls apart.  The image itself is beautifully poetic.

I'm not usually a fan of women's fiction—and I don't particularly like Emily Giffin, so her quote wasn't really a ringing endorsement—but I'm really glad that I took a chance and read this novel.  Liane Moriarty is a brilliant writer and I'm kicking myself for not having read her works before.  I even won a copy of The Hypnotist's Love Story a couple of years ago; it's still sitting on my bookshelf, unread.

The Husband's Secret is more than just chick-lit.  It's full of drama and intrigue and I didn't want to put it down!  Moriarty merges the stories of the three individual primary characters into a whole; it's a fascinating journey from start to finish.  What is the truth?  As we find out, it's not necessarily an easy answer.  On the way, lives are shaken up, boundaries are tested, and firmly-held beliefs are forced aside.

Highly recommended!

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book, by Diane E. Muldrow

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A humorous "guide to life" for grown-ups!

One day, Diane Muldrow, a longtime editor of the iconic Little Golden Books, realized that, despite their whimsical appearance, there was hardly a real-life situation that hadn't been covered in the more than 70-year-old line of children's books—from managing money, to the importance of exercise, to finding contentment in the simplest things. 

In this age of debt, depression, and diabetes, could we adults use a refresher course in the gentle lessons from these adorable books, she wondered—a "Little Golden guide to life"? Yes, we could! Muldrow's humorous yet practical tips for getting the most out of life ("Don't forget to enjoy your wedding!" "Be a hugger." "Sweatpants are bad for morale."), drawn from more than 60 stories, are paired with delightful images from these best-loved children's books of all time—among them The Poky Little Puppy, Pantaloon, Mister Dog, Nurse Nancy, We Help Mommy, Five Pennies to Spend, and The Little Red Hen.  

The Golden greats of children's illustration are represented here as well: Richard Scarry, Garth Williams, Eloise Wilkin, J. P. Miller, and Mary Blair, among many others. Sure to bring memories and a smile, this book is a perfect gift for baby boomers, recent grads, lovers of children's literature—or anyone who cherishes the sturdy little books with the shiny cardboard covers and gold foil spines!





How cool is this book idea?  I was psyched to read snippets of books I loved as a kid that have been updated for grown-ups. 

What I received, however, left me scratching my head in bewilderment.  Is this supposed to be funny?  witty?  charming?  Did I just get a bum ARC?  The file I received was all of 11 pages long and comprised a single sentence over a handful of pages:

Is your life starting to feel like a circus?
Don't panic...
Today's a new day.
Frolic.
Daydream.
Work hard.
Play hard.
Believe in Santa Claus...
love at first sight...
and that your ship will come in. As long as you do, your life is bound to be Golden!

Um... okay?  I'm not really sure what this is supposed to be.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.