The Girl You left Behind by Jojo Moyes - live webchat 11 December 1-2pm

I'm really glad about that, gracesmum, because I'd like to read more of her books and I didn't want to read the second one first!

Just read 'The Last Letter from Your Lover' by her. Would also recommend.

nanadog I thoroughly enjoyed Last Letter, was different from what I usually read.

I'll see if the library has it! Thanks.

I have started my copy 5 chapters in and enjoying it.

Why didn't you start at the beginning, glass?

Oops - just realised that you meant you've read 5 chapters, glass! Think it's time I logged off !

marelli I liked the look of chapter 5

Novels with the First World War as a background are usually based around life in the trenches but yours is set in a German-occupied civilian area. Is this something you researched or is it fictitious? Thoroughly enjoying it so far and as this is the first book of yours I have read will certainly look up some others.

I cant put it down, my kindle is feeling rejected.

Its so different from your last two book I read Me before You then Last letter from my lover which was my best book of 2012 but I have not yet finished The girl you left behind. Each book seems to me to be very different was that something you strived for to keep the reader interested?

Thanks Gransnet for my copy. I am just about to start it,I love books set during the war but I know this one will have me feeing sad but I also know it will be a great story as I love all the author's book,so here goes.

Thoroughly enjoyed the plot BUT my enjoyment was marred by cod German - don't know which page, exactly, as I read it on my Kindle but I think the phrase was from the German commandant to one of his men and I think he said "Sie koennen nicht beruehren die Frauen" (you can't touch the women)
1) Koennen - "to be able" , you would use "duerfen" for "to be allowed" (as in can I sit here? Of course you can, but you may not"
2) the infinitive always goes at the end of the sentence or relative clause
3) he would address a soldier as "du" - "Sie" is too polite to someone of a lower rank.
4) he would be highly unlikely to use such a long convoluted command (even if he did get it grammatically correct) and might have said something much more like "Fass' die Frauen nicht an!" (don't touch the women!)
Sorry to be picky - but this sort of thing really jumps off the page and a good editor should have picked it up.

gracesmum, worthy of a new thread on Pedants' Corner, for misuse of foreign languages.

Well wouldn't it annoy you if an ostensibly English character got his English all wrong in the middle of a book o, even a Montalbano episode? If you're going to use a foreign language get it right.

And while I'm having a rant how about accents e.g. in films) - do you remember "Tonght we will dine with my father in Notting-Ham"( Kevin Costner in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves)

I wasn't disputing it with you, gracesmum. Couldn't agree more.

Rant over !!! Hope Jojo Moyes replies to that one although not exactly a question - could be rephrased why didn't you get anyone to check your German!

Oh dear, I seem to have banged this thread on the head a bit! Sorry!! Looking forward to Jojo's answers though, as she is a good writer and actually uses language very well (apart from occasional German, but no more of that!)

I finished the book last night. I loved it. Once again, what a joy to receive a book for free, thank you Gransnet.

I finished my copy at about 5.30 this morning.....waking early just now. I really enjoyed it and without giving anything away, have to say that the ending was brilliantly done.

I've read a few Jojo Moyes books before I read this one, 'The Horse Dancer', 'Last Letter from your Lover', 'Me Before You'. A common question I know but from where do you get your inspiration as I find them all very different?

I got this on Audible to listen to. It followed on from a trilogy I listened to also based in WWI but linked to the present day. 'Birdsong' by Sebastian Faulks, then 'The Girl at the Lion d'Or' and 'Charlotte Gray'.

Dear Jojo - I absolutely loved the book. Couldn't put it down. I confess I had thought of you as a chick lit author and so this book - particularly the first half - surprised me a bit (in a good way I hasten to add) Was that intentional - or just the way the story panned out?

PS - am I allowed o be a pedant? Can you "pen an email"?!

Here is another who thought (from the book covers) that Jojo was a 'chick lit' author, so hadn't read any of her stuff. Bought this on my kindle on the strength of the gransnet recommendation and I'm very glad that the wintry weather has allowed me to spend hours curled up reading without feeling very guilty! Will now be keeping an eye open for other books of hers - its such a treat to discover a 'new' author.

I particularly liked the way that even fairly minor characters were 'rounded' and interesting, not just one-dimensional.

Her name is a bit of a put-off to anyone who is not into chick lit - but the fact that she is published by Penguin gives a hint that there might be more to it.

I thought it was well-written and enjoyed it, but would not go out of my way to read more of hers, unless someone is prepared to strongly recommed a particular one.he

The characters were interesting and the parts set in the war gave some insights into French people's lives in occupied villages. The impossible position that some people found themselves in when forced to co-operate with the occupying forces; but then they found themselves ostracized by the rest of the villagers.

The idea that the kommandant tried to reunite Sophie with her husband was a bit far-fetched - especially as the route chosen for this reunion nearly killed her!