What Story Do You Want to Leave Behind?

Today, you and I are writing the story we’ll be remembered for long after our life is over. As a parent to four adults, my mothering story has been written, and the lessons learned are being folded into the story of my grandmothering days.

What story do I want to be able to tell?
What stories do I want my family to remember?
These questions form the steering mechanism for my decisions, priorities, and use of time in these final decades of my life.

Here’s a fairly fresh example:

Rounding the corner into my sixth decade and a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, I hustled myself into physical therapy for foundational exercises to maintain flexibility and balance and to sustain strength. The dailiness of this new routine (that feels like a part-time job) gets tiresome. Even listening to music or podcasts sometimes doesn’t take the edge off my impatience, but that’s when I need to ask myself the all-important governing questions: 

Do I want to push back against the effects of a progressive disease?
Do I want to be able to lift and carry my baby grandchildren?
Do I want to continue teaching women that they can be confident Christ-followers and students of God’s Word?

What story do I want to be able to tell? What stories do I want my family to remember? These questions form the steering mechanism for my decisions, priorities, and use of time in these final decades of my life.

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What story do I want to leave behind?

Basing her tale on a true literary mystery, Patti Callahan Henry has captured the sad, lifelong effects of parental abandonment while also exploring the solid anchor of family history and tradition. The Story She Left Behind straddles mystery and romance genres with discretion and skillful attention to historical details that enrich the story.

Readers wondering if they should hold on to their own long-held dreams will find themselves encouraged by Clara’s discovery that dreams are “visions of the future, they are whispers of our desires, they are hope. We cannot and we must not live without dreams.”

What Other Reviewers Are Saying

“Brilliant, riveting, so beautifully written, impossible to put down. I wanted to know, needed to know, about the strange manuscript left to a daughter, and the odyssey it sent her on.” –Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels

“Patti Callahan Henry’s engaging, compassionate new novel honors the magical way words and stories create meaning in our often messy lives. Rooted in vivid landscapes, endearing characters, and an intriguing mystery inspired by actual historical events, The Story She Left Behind offers something for every reader. Book clubs will delight in this celebration of family, hope, forgiveness, and the tender generosity of abiding love.” —Shelley Read, International bestselling author of Go As A River

Holding You in the Light,

Basing her tale on a true literary mystery, Patti Callahan Henry has captured the sad and lifelong effects of parental abandonment while also exploring the solid anchor of family history and tradition #TheStorySheLeftBehind @AtriaBooks

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CLICK HERE to read my most recent newsletter where you’ll be given the opportunity to subscribe. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and I want to help you along that path.

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Looking for Challenging Devotional Reading that Encourages You to Seek Intimacy with God Every Day?

As you know, I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path. At Living Our Days, I provide biblical content and resources to encourage biblical literacy and faithful living, and now I’m sharing devotional content on the YouVersion app. Visit my profile page to get free access to the reading plans!

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Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.