The Story She Left Behind

Bronwyn is one of the novel’s primary characters. She is Clara’s mother, Timothy’s wife, and Wynnie’s grandmother. Chapters 1, 49, 50, and 52 trace episodes from her storyline and are written from the third-person limited point of view. In these sections, the third-person narrator describes the world according to Bronwyn’s distinct experience of it. They therefore provide insight into Bronwyn’s otherwise mysterious identity, history, and consciousness.

Bronwyn is a talented, intelligent, and elusive individual. When she was a little girl, her parents immediately recognized that she was a child prodigy. She was “reading books by three years old and making up her own stories by three and a half. She played the violin and piano and memorized long passages of poetry before she turned four years old” (68). By eight, she had written her first novel, a children’s book called The Middle Place, which she later published at 12. While Bronwyn’s parents initially nurtured her genius, determined to “treat her as the extraordinary creature she was born to be” (68), her imaginative and unpredictable behaviors soon became too much for them. What they once valued in their daughter they came to demonize. Bronwyn’s mother, Martha, had her admitted to a psychiatric hospital when she was a teenager. This experience caused Bronwyn to experience suicidal ideation. She was mistreated and diagnosed with schizophrenia, a label that she’d spend the rest of her life trying to escape. For a time, Bronwyn was able to make her own life (particularly after falling in love with and marrying Timothy). However, after the house fire (which harmed Clara and killed a fireman), Bronwyn fled. Convinced that she’d be pathologized for her fault in the fire and hospitalized again, she faked her death to save Timothy and Clara from more pain. These decisions capture the tenor of the era, specifically the negative sociocultural regard for women’s mental health. The only way that Bronwyn was able to have a normal life in 1927 was to disassociate from the person she had been and thus the labels she’d been given.

Despite her past choices, Bronwyn deeply loves Clara and Timothy. She is thrilled to reunite with them in the narrative present because she’s never forgotten them. In Cumbria, she made a new life for herself with the help of her friend Callum. Assuming the identity of Isolde has let her live without fear or shame. At the same time, she’s constantly longed for Clara and Timothy. Their reconnection allows her to explain herself and right the wrongs of the past, reconnecting with her husband and daughter.

Charlie is another of the novel’s primary characters. His parents are Pippa and Callum, and his brother is Archie. In the narrative present, Charlie lives alone in a London apartment. He is grieving his father, who died three weeks before the novel’s start. While Charlie has good relationships with everyone in his family, he and Callum were especially close. To deal with his sorrow over Callum’s death, Charlie delves into the mystery surrounding Bronwyn and Clara’s story. He also develops an immediate heart for Clara and Wynnie and does everything in his power to help them during their time in England.

Charlie is an empathetic, kindhearted, and gentle person. He has an artistic sensibility and relates to Clara’s imaginative way of seeing the world. He is also sensitive to her complex emotional experience. The more time he spends with her, the more apparent his deep feelings for her become. Clara is also drawn to Charlie. They have an innate connection that transcends the bounds of linguistic classification. When they’re around one another, they often feel the impulse to comfort and protect each other, be it physically or emotionally.

Charlie and Clara create a life together by the novel’s end. They offer each other the love and support they haven’t otherwise found in their intimate relationships. Charlie carries Clara’s sorrows and wounds and nurtures her imagination and strength. He recognizes that Clara isn’t “like” other women, but he never pushes her to conform. His character, therefore, contributes to Clara’s growth and healing journey.

Wynnie is one of the novel’s secondary characters. Her parents are Clara and Nat, and her grandparents are Timothy and Bronwyn. Wynnie is eight years old in the narrative present. Although she’s never met Bronwyn (who disappeared when her mother was eight), Wynnie has many personality overlaps with her grandmother. Like Bronwyn, Wynnie is imaginative, fanciful, and fun-loving. She’s also deeply introspective. Because she’s different from her peers and has “funny eyes and weak lungs” (19), Wynnie often experiences bullying at school. To survive her social alienation, Wynnie relies on her imaginary best friend, Emjie. Emjie is the name of Bronwyn’s main character in The Middle Place. She revealed herself to Wynnie even before she read the book. She accompanies Wynnie no matter where she goes and offers her insight into both the visible and invisible world. When she’s in trouble or upset, Wynnie relies on Emjie for comfort and companionship. Wynnie is a loving, empathetic, and joyful character. She infuses the narrative with hope as a child with uninhibited energy. Her innocence and playfulness often help the adults around her to see the world anew.

Callum is a minor character. He was Charlie and Archie’s father, Pippa’s husband, and Bronwyn’s friend. Three weeks before the narrative present, Callum died. He therefore only appears in flashbacks, memories, and the other characters’ conversations. Despite Callum’s physical absence, his character plays a major role in their sense of self. He is also a connection point between the other characters. Callum knew Bronwyn for many years, sheltered her when she fled home, and helped her maintain her privacy and stability over the years. Callum also kept up with Clara’s career from afar and connected her with Eliza Walker. Because he had Bronwyn’s notebook, he leads Charlie to Clara at the start of the novel. Callum’s character is thus a narrative device that the author uses to bring Clara’s and Charlie’s disparate worlds together and facilitate Clara’s reunion with Bronwyn.