Title: The Girl You Left Behind

Author: Jojo Moyes

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Publisher: Penguin Books

Format: Paperback

Pages: 480

Rating: 5/5 stars

*Warning: mature content. Parents please be advised.*

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Another New York Times bestseller by the author of Me Before You—a spellbinding story of two women united in their fight for what they love most

Jojo Moyes’s word-of-mouth bestseller, Me Before You, catapulted her to wide critical acclaim and struck a chord with a wide range of readers everywhere. Now, with The Girl You Left Behind, Moyes returns with another irresistible heartbreaker—a breathtaking story of love, loss, and sacrifice told with her signature ability to capture our hearts.

Paris, 1916. Sophie Lefèvre must keep her family safe while her adored husband, Édouard, fights at the front. When their town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Sophie is forced to serve them every evening at her hotel. From the moment the new Kommandant sets eyes on Sophie’s portrait—painted by her artist husband—a dangerous obsession is born, one that will lead Sophie to make a dark and terrible decision. Almost a century later, Sophie’s portrait hangs in the home of Liv Halston, a wedding gift from her young husband before his sudden death. After a chance encounter reveals the portrait’s true worth, a battle begins over its troubled history and Liv’s world is turned upside all over again.

Review:

I loved this book! I really enjoy books that go back and forth between the past and present!

Sophie is living in a small provincial town in France during World War One. The Germans have occupied her town, and while she is waiting for her husband to return, the German commander of the town is infatuated with her. But not actually with her, but with her portrait that her husband painted. Flash forward to 2006 where the portrait hangs in an architects house. Liv has become attached to the portrait, and does all she can to keep the portrait when the family takes her to court for the picture.

There are so many pieces to this book. I was entangled in the plot and the characters and I needed to keep reading so I knew what happened! I definitely recommend this book if you love historical fiction!

Happy reading!