Well, it did take me significantly longer to read this book (two and a half weeks!) than the previous Moyes works, but I have been on my honeymoon cruise for the last week and our schedule was packed with different games, activities, exotic ports (St Martin, St Thomas and the Bahamas!), excursions and loads of swimming and eating! So, I didn't have a ton of time for reading, but I squeezed in some time here and there whilst waiting for an activity or game to begin!
Without giving away too much, I want to outline the basic plot of the book. Liv Halston is a widow of a talented, young architect. Her late husband, David, purchased a lovely portrait from a frantic and frazzled woman whilst the couple was vacationing in Paris, and he bestowed the painting to his wife as a late marriage gift. David and Liv hung the painting in their bedroom and it remained there even after David passed away. Present day Liv is a bit down on her luck. Bills are piling up and her debt is reaching a staggering height. She works as an independent editor, but the jobs are few and far between. She has been unable (and, I suspect, unwilling, to venture into the dating world.) Also meet Paul, the divorced father of a young boy, ex cop, and he works at a company that is hired by individuals to find artwork believed to have been stolen or obtained under illegal methods during WW1, WW2, etc. Paul has not had a relationship since the divorce. A chance encounter brings Paul and Liv together and they ignite a passion inside each other that neither can ignore.
As a chemistry starts to build between Liv and Paul, a client comes forward seeking a painting called "The Girl You Left Behind" that was painted by his distant relative, Edouard Lefèvre. The painting was said to have been stolen during WW1 by a German Kommandant, and now, a century later, the relatives demand it's return to it's rightful owner. It is also worth mentioning that the painting is worth a significant amount of money! Unfortunately, Paul finally locates the painting, which happens to reside in Liv's bedroom. Paul explains the dilemma to Liv, insisting that she do the right thing and return the art, but Liv emphatically rebukes him, stating how much she cares about the piece and how it's the most important thing to her. It isn't until Paul storms out that Liv begins to research the painting, and the past of it's subject, Edouard's wife Sophie. Liv also discovers the value of the painting. A media circus court case begins and more and more evidence is brought to light about "The Girl You Left Behind", Sophie, Edouard, and the Kommandant.
The book not only follows Liv and her story, but it details Sophie's narrative. In fact, the opening few chapters are all centered on Sophie and her family and her life. It isn't until the reader becomes invested in the story that Moyes brings us to present day and introduces Liv and Paul.
I really enjoyed The Girl You Left Behind!! The past juxtaposed with the present was extremely interesting! I was rooting for Liv and Sophie throughout the entire book! Two strong women, faced with trials, tribulations, heartache, and longing. It's a great story and another marvelous feather in JoJo Moyes' cap! As Moyes wrote in this book: "Sometimes life is a series of obstacles, a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes it is simply a matter of blind faith."
REVIEW:
I give The Girl You Left Behind a solid 4 stars! The book was interesting and a good read, the story and concepts were well written, and the characters (as par for Moyes) were extremely well developed! I recommend this book if you enjoyed her other works!!
NEXT BOOK:
For the next selection, I'm going to read and review Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell! I have been recommended this book by several friends, so I'm excited to pick it up!
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