The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes

This title was published in 2012.  It was chosen by my book discussion group to be the next title we would discuss.  When I first picked this book up I had some difficulty getting into it.  I put it aside for a few weeks and went back to it.  Then, I could not put it down but read it till I was done.

The story starts out  in WWI in a small town in France that is occupied by the Germans.  Sophie Lefevre lives with her sister and children in a small hotel.  One of the German officers spies Sophie and she decides to risk it all in the hope that she will see her husband again.

The author then skips to 2006 where a young widow, Liv Halston has been approached by a company who seeks to recover stolen paintings.  Unknown to Liv, the painting her husband gave her on their honeymoon belongs to the ancestors of Sophie.  The painting is entitled "The Girl You Left Behind" and is actually a portrait of Sophie painted by her husband.

Liv is vehement about not releasing the painting.  She becomes emboiled in Sophie's history and seeks to clear Sophie's name. In so doing, Liv learns much about Sophie and more about herself.

This is a story about tenacity and hope and the resilience of a young woman torn by the ravages of war.

Ladybookbug!