The Girl You Left Behind

The Girl You Left Behind
By: Jojo Moyes
5/5 Stars

From Goodreads:

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.

My Thoughts:

The Girl You Left Behind captured my attention from the very beginning. The first part of the novel is set in France during the First World War. Moyes does a great job of drawing you in and making you care about the characters and their lives of trial during desperate times. The story of Sophie and her family is powerful and moving. She has amazing strength and unbelievable courage. Her love for Edouard drives her and inspires her to be bold. Eduoard sees the beauty and boldness in her that is shown through his portrait of her. This portrait becomes a symbol of these characteristics and encourages her to keep on living with pride and strength. 

In the next part of the novel we are introduced to Liv who is still mourning the death of her husband, David. When Liv meets Paul she begins to feel alive again after all these years. Her new found bliss is cut short, however, when she learns that he works for a company who wants to take away her beloved painting, bought during her honeymoon with David, only to return it to the family of the artist. She decides to fight this and Paul in court despite what it might cost her in the end. Through Liv's research of the painting and the life of Sophie, we learn what became of these characters of the past. 

Moyes tells each story with descriptive detail allowing you to feel a part of the stories and settings. You begin to care for each set of characters and wish a happy ending for all. This is an inspiring, emotional, and romantic read that will keep the reader thinking long after it is finished.