I mentioned a while back that a Little Free Library was put up in my neighborhood and it is the best! I've gotten a few books from it and I love the whole "take one, leave one" idea, so there is always new books to choose from. Last year I read "Me Before You" by JoJo Moyes, and even though a lot of the book made me mad, I really liked her writing style, so I thought I'd give The Girl You Left Behind a try. It did not disappoint!
It starts during World War I while Germany is occupying France. Sophie runs a hotel where the German soldiers are taking their meals while her husband, who is an artist by trade, is off fighting. Inside the hotel is a painting of Sophie which captivates the German soldier in charge. An obsession is born which leads Sophie to making a difficult discussion.
Nearly one hundred years later the painting of Sophie, now called "The Girl You Left Behind" hangs in the home of Liv a young women who became a widow too soon. The painting was a wedding gift from her husband and means more to her than anything in the world. In a crazy twist of fate, Liv suddenly finds herself close to losing the painting and the memories it holds, when the question of how she acquired the painting comes up. Was it stolen from Sophie nearly 100 years ago by the German soldier and does it really belong back with Sophie's husband's family?
The uniqueness of this story kept me reading and Moyers did an excellent job of shifting back and forth through time between the characters. If you're looking for a new book to read, this is a good one, it will keep you guessing up to the very last page!
Thanks for the review. It's very helpful. I will have to look into this book.
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