The Girl You Left Behind
- Narrated by:
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release Date:08-20-13
- Publisher: Penguin Audio
France, 1916: Artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his young wife, Sophie, to fight at the front. When their small town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War II, Edouard’s portrait of Sophie draws the eye of the new Kommandant. As the officer’s dangerous obsession deepens, Sophie will risk everything - her family, her reputation, and her life - to see her husband again.
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Publisher's Summary
From the New York Times best-selling author of Me Before You, a spellbinding love story of two women separated by a century but united in their determination to fight for what they love most
France, 1916: Artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his young wife, Sophie, to fight at the front. When their small town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War II, Edouard's portrait of Sophie draws the eye of the new Kommandant. As the officer's dangerous obsession deepens, Sophie will risk everything - her family, her reputation, and her life - to see her husband again.
Almost a century later, Sophie's portrait is given to Liv Halston by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. A chance encounter reveals the painting's true worth, and a battle begins for who its legitimate owner is - putting Liv's belief in what is right to the ultimate test.
Like Sarah Blake's The Postmistress and Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key, The Girl You Left Behind is a breathtaking story of love, loss, and sacrifice told with Moyes's signature ability to capture our hearts.
©2013 Jojo Moyes (P)2013 Penguin Audio
What Members Say
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"Exquisite Portrait of Sophie and Liz"
Beautifully written novel of Sophie, a French wife and her sister left to cook for Germans in occupied Paris in WWI. The portrait painted by Sophie's husband, Edourd, captures a moment when she discovers she loves and desires him for the first time, creating a captivating piece of artwork. As she struggles to stay brave for her family; keep up hope for Edourd; entertain monsters in her own home and place of business; she shows Herculean strength and fights to maintain her spirit and dignity.
Present day Liz, received, "The Girl You Left Behind" as a honeymoon present from her now deceased husband. She calls it her favorite possession and feels a deep connection with Sophie.
Both characters are as different as night and day, disparate, yet intriguing in their own way. When I read books told from two different points of view and time periods, I often find myself liking one more than the other. This was not the case, finally. I couldn't wait to hear Sophie's lilting, lovely French accent and was equally waiting to tag along with British Liz during her quest to move on and hold on to Sophie. Moyes created characters with depth you cared about and relationships you felt with intensity.
One of the best books I've listened to in months. Excellent read, and don't call it chic lit!72 of 74 people found this review helpful -
Lulu 11-25-13Lulu 11-25-13
I ignore genre labels. Some of my favorite books are outside my genre comfort zone. Listening to audiobooks is still reading. Not theater.
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"The Narration was Perfect & the Story Close to..."
But not quite. And my issue is tiny enough I can still recommend this book quite highly.
Ms. Moyes does a great job of taking a controversial issue and helping you see it from a fresh perspective. The issue isn't quite as intense as assisted suicide, as she tackled in her most recent book. But it is still polarizing - repatriation of illegally obtained valuables and personal items during a time of war. This book takes a fresh look at the issue and the perspective she crafted was quite ingenious. She takes a step backwards from the more common storyline of evil Nazis and the pillage they committed during World War II and sets the events in motion during World War I.
The story is told from two perspectives, almost 100 years apart. Two women who are terribly different - one who continues to fight and to hope long after everyone around her has stopped and one who seems to have stopped fighting and hoping a long time ago. Through the artwork they share, the strength and righteousness of Sophie gradually becomes imbued in Liv.
The narration was wonderful, especially Sophie's voice. But both narrators performed multiple characters and accents beautifully.
Here is my one tiny complaint. I will try and express it without giving the ending away, but the resolution in Liv's story has one too many last minute reprieves to me. I felt like I was brought to the bring of resolution, only to find out it wasn't once too often.
I finished the book terribly satisfied. It is the 3rd book I've read by this author. I will definitely read another one and I recommend this one highly.12 of 13 people found this review helpful -
JOHN Plantation, FL, United States 05-19-14 Member Since 2003
Audible Member Since 2003
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"Really Quite Good"
Reading the titles and descriptions of the various Jojo Moyes books, one might assume that she is a prolific "chick lit" factory. After finishing The Girl You Left Behind, my second Moyes novel, my experience has thus far been quite to the contrary. This is a well-written, engaging, thoughtful and rich story.
The beginning, set in a French town during the German occupation in WWI, sets the stage for what will become a tale that becomes a legal and ethical dilemma on many levels. "The Girl You Left Behind" is actually a painting of questionable provenance painted during the war one hundred years ago. But it is so much more than just a painting and the woman who was the painting's subject is brought to life and continues to speak many generations later from the canvas where she is enshrined.
Excellent and touching story, well written and well read. Highly recommended.5 of 5 people found this review helpful -
DIANE Thornhill,, Ontario, Canada 11-15-13 Member Since 2015
I am an avid "reader"- I prefer to listen to books rather than read them due to the added dimension added by the narrator.
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"An outstanding read"
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?Yes, I have already recommended it numerous times.
What other book might you compare The Girl You Left Behind to and why?I have no books to compare this to. I really enjoyed Me Before You, also by Jo Jo Moyes and having read this, I was propelled to listen to another of her books. I am very fond of her writing style and I love the way she develops her characters.
What does Clare Corbett and Penny Rawlins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?I always find audiobooks far superior to those I "read". Some feel the complete opposite and would rather use their imaginations to imagine the characters. I personally find voices very helpful in my appreciation of the people in the books I listen to. Often, the accents give me a window into the culture in which the characters are immersed.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?I found this very easy to continue to listen to. I could probably have listened all in one sitting if I'd had the time.
Any additional comments?I will be seeking out more books by this author. Well done! The only comment I would make is that the ending was a bit predictable but I don't want to give anything away… so listen to the book!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful -
Mark Raglan, New Zealand 02-27-15 Member Since 2015
I love listening to books when cycling, paddleboarding, etc but I press pause when I need to concentrate. Its safer & I don't lose the plot!
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"A proper story"
This book received high praise in a recent Facebook conversation, so I thought I would take a punt. I hunted it down on Audible and had a listen.
I’d have to agree with the Facebook reviewers, it is a really good, engaging story and, when life’s routines demanded that I switch it off (e.g. arriving at work) I was usually disappointed because I wanted to keep on listening.
It’s all about a painting: The story takes place in two different settings: Occupied France during World War 1 and London in the present day. We also have two heroines (one in each era), two heroes, and a couple of villains. The eponymous painting is of our First World War heroine, Sophie. She is the owner of a hotel (Le Coq Rouge) in an occupied village in rural France. The picture had been painted before the war by her husband, Edouard, who is away fighting the Germans.
The most senior German officer in Sophie’s town is Freidrich, a Kommandant who takes his meals at the hotel and takes a liking to Sophie and her painting.
Then we suddenly switch to modern London to meet Olivia, whose architect husband David died unexpectedly 4 years earlier. She is still grieving his loss, and her favourite possession is the painting of Sophie, which David had bought from an American woman.
I won’t reveal too much more of the plot, but from then on the story follows Olivia’s battle to keep the painting when a legal action is initiated by Sophie’s relatives, who claim that the picture was stolen by the Germans.
It is very well written, with good characterisation and dialogue, and plenty of twists and turns. I think it would make a good film (incidentally, if a film was made I think it might be categorised as a ‘chick flick’). The narrators told the story very well in the sense that they played the roles convincingly, but they also made lots of mistakes and this distracted and irritated me a bit, but this is a churlish criticism of a really good listen.8 of 9 people found this review helpful -
Stevon Tempe, AZ, United States 01-02-14 Member Since 2015
I love books!
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"really liked this book"
First time author, JoJoMoyes, a really creative, imaginative book, I really liked this one and recommend it highly. The title of the book "The Girl You Left Behind" is the name of a portrait painted by a French artist of his soon to be wife just before the start of World War I. The story is of the lives of the couple as well as others that came in contact with the painting over the next 100 years. The author weaves quite the web in telling the story. I'll look forward to my next by JoJo Moyes.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful -
"This book really is a "five star""
Wholeheartedly impressed by Jojo Moyes' exceptional "The Girl You Left Behind. Enjoyed narrators as well. The abrupt shift in time and perspective was at first disconcerting, and quite honestly I thought the book ruined, but before long I was engrossed with Olivia's story as I was with Sophie's.
I am frequently frustrated by all the "5 star" book reviews I see in Audible reviews. A book that truly deserves "five stars" rarely comes along. I was sorry to see this one end, but enjoyed it thoroughly.
Full disclosure, it is a bit of "chick lit". I can't wait to read a third book of Ms. Moye's, she is a brilliant, gifted writer.3 of 3 people found this review helpful -
Deanna 10-04-13Deanna 10-04-13 Member Since 2014
Say something about yourself!
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"She is a Master Storyteller"
I am in love with this book. The author did an amazing job of character development I felt like I knew them all personally. I was enraptured with the unfolding of the story and the internal turmoil of each character.
This is not a wasted credit.
The narrators did a beautiful job.3 of 3 people found this review helpful -
"Disappointment"
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?Someone who doesn't speak French and who isn't familiar with what a French person speaking English really sounds like. I have read good reviews of this book, but I could not stand to listen to it because the narration irritated me so much I couldn't "hear" the story. Its too bad because the narrators who read Moyes' book, "Me Before You" did a nice job. I enjoyed that story and it is the primary reason I put "The Girl You Left Behind" on my queue.
What do you think your next listen will be?The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Clare Corbett and Penny Rawlins ?I would have cast someone who was either a native French speaker who speaks English with a real French accent, or someone who would read in their own voice without a cliche, fake, French accent. As a fluent French speaker, myself, I could not "hear" the story for the annoying narration.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?I usually inhale audio books and frequently need to order an extra three points to make sure I always have something to listen to. However, this book lost me at the start as a result of the narration. I never got through the first part. The story may be good, but I couldn't "hear" it.
Any additional comments?I hope producers of audio books read these reviews. Narration is vital to the listener's enjoyment. It should not stand out on its own. Rather it should blend in and, frankly, be somewhat forgotten in favor of the story. Certainly there are some narrators whose unique voices are easy to pick out; George Guidall comes to mind. However, I never felt he "stole the show" in any of the books I have listened to him read. I suppose if I were not a French speaker, myself, this book would not have been as offensive to me. Perhaps it will appeal to others.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful -
"entertaining from start to finihs"
What did you love best about The Girl You Left Behind?I loved the characters Sophie and Liv and how invested I quickly became in their lives
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Girl You Left Behind?The ending was so dramatic. I was literally holding my breath.
Have you listened to any of Clare Corbett and Penny Rawlins ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?I had listened to the first Jo Jo Moyes and loved it-not sure if same performer, but really enjoyed the performances of these readers.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?It did have very sad parts but,also, some very witty dialogue. I really felt like I knew the characters and really cared what happened to them.
Any additional comments?I've only read 2 by Jo Jo Moyes, but plan to explore her other books soon
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
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