In The Girl You Left Behind, Moyes tells a story of two generations. She invites us into the lives of Sophie and Helene, sisters in France during WWI. Sophie and Helene's husbands are fighting the war while Sophie and Helene are trying to keep their home front going. Sophie's husband, Edouard, is a painter. He painted a beautiful picture of Sophie, capturing her personality perfectly and Sophie is now faced with the possibility of trading her beloved painting for Edouard's safety. Moyes fast forwards to 2006, where we meet Liv, a young widow, who is in possession of this painting, titled The Girl You Left Behind. Just as Sophie faced losing the painting a lifetime ago, Liv now struggles with a legal battle over the painting and determining who the rightful owners are. Liv didn't know anything about the painting other than it was a spur of the moment wedding gift from her late husband, and that she loved the look of determination on the lady's face. The battle over the painting sends Liv right in the throes of Sophie's heartwrenching life. Liv is determined to keep the painting and honor Sophie no matter the costs.
Sophie was judged for her actions and choices. I find the fear of being judged during this wartime unimaginable. I hope that tradegy would bring comradery, not judgement. Townspeople were judging their neighbors, even former friends, for succumbing to the Germans, such as when Sophie and Helene feed the Germans, as ordered, in their restaurant. Sophie and Helene feared being punished, maybe even shot, if they didn't comply. What decision would you make if it were literally life or death? I'm still trying to wrap my brain around why facing life and death didn't deter judgement.
Herr Kommandant was the commanding officer of the Germans in Sophie's village. He gave the order for Sophie and Helene to feed his officers, forcing them into submission; however, he also treated Sophie with civility. Moyes has shed a different light to me on these acts of evil. It's easy to assume every one of the German soldiers were monsters. However, Moyes offers the view of these soldiers as regular men, forced into what they may also see as a horrible situation but see no safe way out. There is such a strong disconnect between a man who loves his family and talks of his children versus a German soldier that would surely shoot you for not complying. How can our brains make sense of anything when these two men are one in the same. Moyes describes this in her writing as Herr Kommandant says,
"You really think any of us has a choice?" he said quietly. "You really think this is how any of us would choose to live? Surrounded by devastation? The perpetrators of it? Were you to witness what we see at the Front, you would think yourself..."
She definitely shines a light on a different perspective - not that this makes their actions right; however, maybe they faced a similar situation of starvation, or even death, if they didn't join the German forces and comply with orders. Maybe they feared judgement for noncompliance.
I've read many WWII books and there are so many similar descriptions of horrific acts from WWI and WWII, such as the Germans billeting someone's residence, the brutal violence, the starvation. I find it so frightening to think that the same acts can happen again, history repeated itself. Many of these men and women served during both wars. I hope and pray history doesn't repeat itself again. Herr Kommandant says,
"...Nobody wins. Nobody wins in a war like this."
I hope that we have all taken time to educate ourselves about this time period and to recognize and reflect on the depth of the losses from these wars.
Moyes also paints a picture of Liv's grief for her deceased husband. Her grief is so real, so raw, even years later. I always shudder when someone thinks we can just "move on." We simply can't. Sophie finds ways to keep her late husband David's spirit alive. She connects wealthy property developers with at risk kids' groups to give tours that spark imaginations and wonder. She sees David's touch in so many ways throughout her home. We work so hard to keep the spirits alive of those we've said goodbye to and this is so important for our healing. What about our own spirit? How do we keep our spirit, alive and well, right now? I remind myself that sometimes the challenges we face may be hard for us, but insurmountable for another person. Or maybe something seems insurmountable to me. It's okay to talk about that stuff. Sophie says about Helene, "It was as if there was a whole world of terrors inside her head that she had to battle against twice as hard as the rest of us." Maybe we can work hard to keep our own spirits alive and while we are at it, we can inspire the spirits of our loved ones, acquaintances, even strangers.
Liv's dad is a hot mess in the book. Literally. A good friend actually described him as "a big naked teddy bear." You can't forget that image now, can you? You're welcome. He breaks up with his girlfriend a million times and walks around naked. Need I say more? However, he gives Liv the best piece advice. He says,
"...I know it's been tough. But we're terribly proud of you, you know..... Just for carrying on, really. Sometimes, my darling girl, that's heroic in itself."
I'm going to end right there. This was my favorite quote from the book. This is how I'm going to keep my spirit alive.
You can grab a copy of The Girl You Left Behind by clicking below. I am an amazon associate and may earn a small amount from any purchase. A few friends and I are reviewing this book, you're not too late to join us! Just send me a message via the menu on the top left of the page. Scroll down until you see a message area. I'd look forward to hearing from you. The next book we selected is The Light Between Oceans. I've included a link below for that as well.
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