The Girl She Left Behind By Jo Bartlett
This was a book that really did break my heart, and it was a powerful story with far darker edges than you might be expecting if you’ve read others from the author – although she’s really never shied away from real-life problems and situations, with a particular sensitivity to her emotional touch. Some of the early reviews even talk about it as veering towards thriller territory – but it’s perhaps rather more about what’s in the shadows, the legacy of a difficult childhood, and the emotional impact as the threads of a mystery are slowly disentangled than edge-of-the-seat and fast paced action. It does rather defy categorisation – “family drama” should maybe be in there somewhere too – but I have to say I thought it was an absolutely stunning read.
Phoebe moved to London as soon as she was able, escaping the manipulative control of the mother who’d made her young life a misery – but sister Lucy stayed, making a home for herself and young daughter Darcy, supported by friend and neighbour Jamie, but frequently struggling with life’s demands. And when she disappears, Phoebe has little choice but to return, taking on the care of the child she hardly knows – to keep her away from their mother’s grip and influence, and provide a place of safety – while searching for Lucy and hoping she will return. With secrets he’s unable to share, she’s supported – practically and emotionally – by Jamie, unexpectedly finding herself building a close relationship with the abandoned child and finding the strength and determination to protect her, both from their mother’s self-centred interference and the possibility that Lucy will not return.
The facts that emerge about the sisters’ experiences with their mother are horrifying – and the betrayal that proved to be the catalyst for Phoebe’s departure from her home town and left her struggling to form future relationships had me in tears. The part played by their father saddened me deeply too – enabling the abhorrent behaviour through looking away and pursuing an easy life. But in the present day, there’s real joy to be found in the growing love between Phoebe and her young niece, as she puts her own life on hold and grasps onto every sign that provides hope of Lucy’s return. Her growing relationship with Jamie is well drawn too – a growing attraction to a genuinely lovely man, whose secrets we begin to understand through the sharing of his viewpoint – along with the supportive friendships she finds through the mothers of Darcy’s friends.
Every character is searingly real, their experiences something you can really feel and touching you to the heart – with some of the themes, around loss and memories of the living, having a particular personal resonance. And the writing is quite wonderful, with plenty of the author’s usual warmth and lightness but tempered by those edges of darkness. The whole book is a considerable emotional journey – totally immersive, and gripped me from the very beginning through to its very last page. An unforgettable read, and the author’s writing has never been better – a very strong recommendation from me. 9781835336533 First, I want to thank Jo Bartlett, Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.
WOW!!! I should have stocked up on tissues for Jo Bartlett’s The Girl She Left Behind. Her book pulled all the raw emotions out of me and pulled hard on my heart strings!! This is a 5 star must read book that needs to be put on your TBR list.
The graphic designers for The Girl She Left Behind did a brilliant job with the cover design. As I was reading this book I pictured Darcy as the girl on the cover.
I admired and respected that Jo started the book with a beautiful written letter to her readers regarding the sensitive theme of the book suicide. I personally want to reach out to Jo and other readers who have lost someone like this and give them a comforting hug. I loved that she included some websites that offer support with some of the topics that are mentioned in the book.
This book is dedicated to L who couldn’t stay.
Jo instantly pulled on my heartstrings within the first paragraph and I was hooked! It was one of those beginnings that you go back and re-read after you finished reading the last page.
Hate is a strong word but out of all the characters that I have read in books (and there have been a lot of books read) Lucy and Phoebe's Mom was the most hated woman! Oh the emotional and verbal abuse that she put them through over the years were inexcusable! There were times when she pushed me over the edge and I wanted to give her a piece of my mind!!
The Girl She Left Behind brought up many extremely important issues, life lessons and eye opening moments.
The character that I loved the most was sweet 4 year old Darcy! She is such a sweet girl that was dealing with a lot of changes at such an early age.
There were so many twists and turns, secrets, revelations, and emotional ups and downs.
This is one book I can see being turned into a movie on Lifetime!
9781835336533 This book is heartbreaking. Going through the grief of losing a sister/friend, while having to tackle the narcissism of a member of the family. It was hard to go through sometimes, a bit slow and repetitive. But this book really touched me deep. The author knew how to write about such a deep and sensitive subject !
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for access to this arm in exchange for my honest review. 9781835336533 I’ve been a fan of this author for a while, enjoyed her previous book enormously and jumped at the chance to read ‘The girl she left behind.’
Was it truly what I expected? Based on my previous enjoyment of Jo’s books I knew it would be excellently written, with good characters and not shying away from some bigger, realistic issues – what I didn’t expect was the darker, intense storylines; the pain, the sadness nor the themes it includes.
Did this mean I enjoyed it any the less? Absolutely not! It’s an incredible read, a fantastic story that shows Jo’s brilliant skill as a writer to tackle such issues; narcissism, suicide, childhood trauma whilst bringing a powerful story that does give wonderful characters, heart wrenching moments and some resolution.
Phoebe escaped once, left behind her childhood pain and narcissistic Mum, but now finds herself having to go back. Her sister is missing with many believing her disappearance to be a suicide; the note left behind says Phoebe must take care of her daughter. Whilst the search for Lucy continues, Phoebe cares for Darcy with the help of neighbour, Jamie, and friends; she is determined her parents don’t get any chance to cause the damage to Darcy they did to her. Phoebe is determined her sister would never abandon gives Darcy, she loved her, but with each passing day it looks less likely Lucy could return. When she receives a letter from Lucy, Phoebe does all she can to figure out what has happened to her sister and when she realises those around her haven’t been fully honest, she questions everything.
Reading about their Mum, the narcissism, the pain she caused as well as the lasting damage; it was shocking at times. You really did dislike her character from the start, no chinks of anything redeemable and think the implied ending is probably long over due and not a surprise.
It is an emotional read in so many ways, the characters are real and how their emotions are depicted has an impact. I think Darcy is a source of positivity – the love she has for those around her, the innocence and upset all rolled into one small person.
This book contained so much drama and many revelations, yet it didn’t feel rushed. Once I’d started reading, I didn’t really want to put it down.
Excellent read, highly recommend – just expect something darker if you’ve read any of hers before. 9781835336533 The Girl She Left Behind is a heartbreaking story dealing with family, dysfunctional family, narcissistic parents and the result of that. Phoebe and Lucy grew up with a narcissistic mother and a father who supported her and not his girls. They had many issues resulting from their upbringing and Phoebe left their village and moved to London. Lucy remained in Appleberry and had child, Darcy. Phoebe gets a message to come home, Lucy is missing, a possible suicide and in the letter she left behind, she asked Phoebe to take care of Darcy. She comes home, expecting Lucy will eventually return. With the help of Lucy's neighbour and some friends, she settles in and raises Darcy while waiting patiently for Lucy to return.
I enjoyed this story, although it was not an easy book to read. We don't find out what happened to Lucy until the end of the book, so it kept me guessing. Phoebe was a great character to get to know. She basically gave up her life in London to take care of Darcy. I enjoyed meeting their friends and seeing how they loved Phoebe and Lucy and saw them very differently from how the girls saw themeselves. Jamie is Lucy's neighbour. He is a jack of all trades: a therapist, runs a farm, nursery camp and works with rescue animals. I kept hoping he and Phoebe would get together and you will have to read the book to see what happens. Phoebe's dog Norma was a great character. Although not a service dog, she sure rescued Phoebe at one time and now Darcy. Jo Bartlett does a great job depicting Janet, the girl's mother. I know some people with narcissistic personalities and I could see them in this book. She also did a wonderful job depicting the harm she did to her daughters and the resulting aftermath many years later. I recommend this book, but suggest you have tissues on hand, as it has many emotional moments. 9781835336533

I picked The Girl She Left Behind just because of the cover. I soon read the blurb and thought it would be an amazing book.
The book follows Phoebe who comes home to take care of her niece Darcy after her sister Lucy goes missing. Phoebe left home many years ago because of the manipulation and psychological abuse for her mother. As days past there is no sign of Lucy, and everyone fears the worst.
I did not particularly enjoy the book. It was very slow and felt more like a 700 page book instead of a 300 page book. I would like to point out that I enjoyed how the author portrayed Phoebe and Lucy’s mother. It really put into perspective how horrible the girls life must of been living with her. 9781835336533 I needed more of the main characters story line. Found the story to be very repetitive. Same thoughts a different day and point in the book, without giving us more or why was their childhood so bad. Too many characters that didn’t need to be there.
I liked the overall ‘somewhat’ happy ending. 9781835336533 The Girl She Left Behind
Repetitive, predictable, honestly got a bit boring. Was hard to commit to finish it. Ending was as predicted. so - so 9781835336533 There was a lot to unpack with this book and it was a real humdinger of a read. Learning about the unhappy childhood that Phoebe and Lucy shared was definitely testing. The descriptions that ran through the book, both historical and contemporary showed what it was like to live with a master manipulator. I’ve certainly met a couple over the years.
As the synopsis explains, it’s Lucy’s disappearance that prompts Phoebe to return to their childhood hometown and take care of Darcy, Lucy’s young daughter. Filled with self-doubt about her suitability and lack of parenting skills, she sets up home in Lucy’s cottage. With the support of neighbour, Jamie, she finds the strength to bond with Darcy and provide a safe place until Lucy returns.
I certainly got a feel for the childhood that Lucy and Darcy had shared. As each instance of their mother’s behaviour was revealed, I could feel the shock rising and when her ultimate betrayal was revealed, I was genuinely relieved to realise that I was reading fiction.
The friendships that formed between Phoebe and the other school mums were a pleasure to see developing. Their support, along with help from Jamie, certainly helped Phoebe to anchor herself back in to where her childhood memories were formed. I found myself reminiscing about people and events from my childhood. Some elements were sadly familiar and yet cathartic.
There are some dark themes and wonderfully imagined characters with relatable storylines. The storytelling is skilled and held my attention despite being tired. This was definitely one that I struggled to put down.
If you have never read this author, this is a great place to start. It showcases her abilities and confirms her as a worthy bestseller.
9781835336533 I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book when I read the Author’s Note at the beginning, but I absolutely loved it from start to finish. You won’t find any spoilers in my review because personally, I think knowing how this ends would make it less enjoyable.
The Girl She Left Behind was sensitively written, with obvious research having gone into how police procedures deal with a missing person and the information which they can and can’t share with relatives.
I loved Phoebe, Jamie and Darcy. Darcy is an amazing little girl who seemingly deals with things the way only children know how to, and with the love and support of those closest to her.
Unfortunately, I could relate to the behaviour of Phoebe and Lucy’s Mum, in the fact that I had to work with someone who showed that sort of behaviour and it did bring up painful memories as I was reading but it did make me realise that I did the right thing by taking myself out of the situation.
The Girl She Left Behind is so much about the loving support of friends in times of need and how trying to at least provide some sense of normality can help with coping mechanisms. I would totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a contemporary novel, but please check the trigger warnings beforehand.
Thank you to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Girl She Left Behind by Jo Bartlett. 9781835336533
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A family in turmoil...
Phoebe Spencer left home a long time ago, desperate to get away from her mother's emotional manipulation. She knows her life is better away from her family, but she can’t help feeling she’s simply running away from her problems…
Then Phoebe hears that her younger sister Lucy has disappeared, leaving behind her four-year old daughter, Darcy. Phoebe's certain Lucy will be back soon - she'd never leave Darcy alone - and then Phoebe can get on with her life again.
But as the days pass there's still no sign of Lucy, and everyone begins to fear the worst. Phoebe has to consider the terrible truth that Lucy might never come home. And as their mother makes it clear she wants to take control of Darcy’s life, Phoebe must do all she can to protect the girl her sister left behind – no matter the cost to her. The Girl She Left Behind