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What Is Left Over, After
Presenting a powerful story of motherhood and loss, this novel explores the complexities of grief and disconnection—and what it takes to become connected again. Gaelle, a 30-year-old beauty editor for a fashion magazine, she is ambivalent about motherhood, and she sleeps around—not because she does not love her heart-surgeon husband Jason, but because the very fact of love is a terrifying thing. She finds it easier to keep moving, in the heart and the mind, than to stay still and own who she is. A multi-layered story of marriage, this novel employs delicate yet powerful prose that builds to a moving revelation.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
103 people are currently reading
881 people want to read
About the author
Natasha Lester
18 books3,482 followersNatasha Lester is the multi-award winning and New York Times best-selling author of THE PARIS SEAMSTRESS, THE PARIS ORPHAN, THE PARIS SECRET and THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD. Her new book, THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE, the story of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only female leader of a French Resistance network in WWII, is coming in April 2025.
Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.
Natasha's books have been translated into twenty-one different languages and are published all around the world. She lives in Perth, Western Australia with her 3 children and loves fashion history, practising the art of fashion illustration, collecting vintage fashion, travelling and, of course, books.
Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.
Natasha's books have been translated into twenty-one different languages and are published all around the world. She lives in Perth, Western Australia with her 3 children and loves fashion history, practising the art of fashion illustration, collecting vintage fashion, travelling and, of course, books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
January 21, 2024
Another rerelease from Fremantle Press, originally released in 2010. I find it refreshing when there is less of a social media presence in books written in the not so distant past.
This is an unusual story of a woman finding it hard to come to grips with a tragedy, and her not so conventional way of dealing with a serious loss. This intertwines with an fractured childhood, which we are told in alternating chapters of this childhood lived in various parts of the world.
Gaelle's mother is a drifter, who goes out 'dancing' in the evenings, leaving her alone at night to fend for herself. Reappearing in her daughter's life at a young age, Gaelle was happily living a beautiful life with her maternal grandparents, but as we see her mother pop up out of nowhere to remove her from this settled and happy life we see this mother is unhinged in some kind of sad and unsettling way.
Relying on a strange type of whymsical storytelling, mother and daughter form a bond in this unreal way. Gaelle is a smart girl; she knows her mum is unusual, and begins to tire of this life and not having what the other children at school have. Left to be befriended by a neigbour she is quite abandoned. We see the geographical solution her mother tries to fix her problems, from contintent to continent.
Gaelle is now 30 and suffering a personal loss, retreating from the wealthy areas of Sydney to Fremantle. Befriending a young tween we see Gaelle try and tease out the solution to her messy life. This young girl becomes quite enamoured with the restless Gaelle, and the two begin to teach each other lessons about life, agian with the storytelling ever present.
Gaelle wasn't a character I loved, so this limited my connection to the story, and the fantastical storytelling wasn't my preferred genre either. Her actions after her loss seemed odd to me, and as with most of my reading, if I don't gel with a character, it blocks the process for me.
I found this a unique story, one I didn't fully embrace, but would be by others who enjoy some magical realism and less conventional storytelling. 2.5 - 3 stars.
With my thanks to @fremantlepress for my copy to read and review.
This is an unusual story of a woman finding it hard to come to grips with a tragedy, and her not so conventional way of dealing with a serious loss. This intertwines with an fractured childhood, which we are told in alternating chapters of this childhood lived in various parts of the world.
Gaelle's mother is a drifter, who goes out 'dancing' in the evenings, leaving her alone at night to fend for herself. Reappearing in her daughter's life at a young age, Gaelle was happily living a beautiful life with her maternal grandparents, but as we see her mother pop up out of nowhere to remove her from this settled and happy life we see this mother is unhinged in some kind of sad and unsettling way.
Relying on a strange type of whymsical storytelling, mother and daughter form a bond in this unreal way. Gaelle is a smart girl; she knows her mum is unusual, and begins to tire of this life and not having what the other children at school have. Left to be befriended by a neigbour she is quite abandoned. We see the geographical solution her mother tries to fix her problems, from contintent to continent.
Gaelle is now 30 and suffering a personal loss, retreating from the wealthy areas of Sydney to Fremantle. Befriending a young tween we see Gaelle try and tease out the solution to her messy life. This young girl becomes quite enamoured with the restless Gaelle, and the two begin to teach each other lessons about life, agian with the storytelling ever present.
Gaelle wasn't a character I loved, so this limited my connection to the story, and the fantastical storytelling wasn't my preferred genre either. Her actions after her loss seemed odd to me, and as with most of my reading, if I don't gel with a character, it blocks the process for me.
I found this a unique story, one I didn't fully embrace, but would be by others who enjoy some magical realism and less conventional storytelling. 2.5 - 3 stars.
With my thanks to @fremantlepress for my copy to read and review.
April 22, 2023
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What is Left Over After is Natasha Lester’s debut novel, recently re-released by Fremantle Press.
I’ve been a big fan of Natasha Lester’s books for years. Her Historical Fiction novels have been published all over the world.
I have loved following Natasha’s strong female leads in her historical novels; trail blazers for women’s rights.
For me, What is Left Over After was a little different to Lester’s novels I am used to reading. This is contemporary fiction and the main character, Gaelle, is broken after suffering a life altering tragedy. Gaelle is filled with self-hate, she feels she can never be any different from her mother, she acts out on these feelings filling herself with more hate and self-doubt. She does the only thing she knows; she runs away from her life and husband.
As Gaelle hides in a small seaside town in Western Australia where no-one knows her past, she begins to open up to a vivacious thirteen-year-old girl. She tells the young girl the story of her life, growing up with a mostly absent mother and no father, continually moving from place to place. The pouring out of her life story comes as a strange fairytale her mother told her as a child.
What is Left Over After is a heart-breaking story of love and loss. Lester explores the concept of what makes us who we are and can you change your life after a dysfunctional childhood.
The story is emotional and the tragedy real. It has a strange story within a story with the inclusion of the fairytale.
Natasha Lester’s writing is engaging and even in this debut novel her potential shines through.
*This review first appeared on the Beauty and Lace Book Club.
What is Left Over After is Natasha Lester’s debut novel, recently re-released by Fremantle Press.
I’ve been a big fan of Natasha Lester’s books for years. Her Historical Fiction novels have been published all over the world.
I have loved following Natasha’s strong female leads in her historical novels; trail blazers for women’s rights.
For me, What is Left Over After was a little different to Lester’s novels I am used to reading. This is contemporary fiction and the main character, Gaelle, is broken after suffering a life altering tragedy. Gaelle is filled with self-hate, she feels she can never be any different from her mother, she acts out on these feelings filling herself with more hate and self-doubt. She does the only thing she knows; she runs away from her life and husband.
As Gaelle hides in a small seaside town in Western Australia where no-one knows her past, she begins to open up to a vivacious thirteen-year-old girl. She tells the young girl the story of her life, growing up with a mostly absent mother and no father, continually moving from place to place. The pouring out of her life story comes as a strange fairytale her mother told her as a child.
What is Left Over After is a heart-breaking story of love and loss. Lester explores the concept of what makes us who we are and can you change your life after a dysfunctional childhood.
The story is emotional and the tragedy real. It has a strange story within a story with the inclusion of the fairytale.
Natasha Lester’s writing is engaging and even in this debut novel her potential shines through.
*This review first appeared on the Beauty and Lace Book Club.
November 30, 2016
This book was awesome! How lucky was I to have spotted it in my local library! I only recognised Natasha Lester's name because of her well known book A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald which I thought was her first novel. So, of course, I had to check out her website (thankful that she has one) and have discovered a second book titled 'If I Should Lose You,' which I can't wait to read.
What is Left Over, After by Natasha Lester is extremely well written.
Gaelle, the main character might be unlikeable at the beginning of this story but it's not too hard to understand when someone is grieving to act out the way Gaelle did and as the story of her life unfolds the reader will understand her fears and behaviour.
A beautiful, intriguing, thought-provoking, sad and complex story but one that is worthwhile reading.
June 20, 2016
This is the kind of book you finish with a tingling sensation, a tear and a deep breath. Phew, got to the end. And I don't mean that in a bad way, it is just that the subject matter of this is HARD, but an important story to tell about an often taboo topic.
As the book opens Gaelle is very difficult to like, but as the story unravels and we discover more of her past, (her immediate past and her childhood), we join Gaelle on a journey of self discovery and forgiveness.
I received a copy of A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald from Netgalley for review and decided to start with Lester's previous books first. Mainly because a friend recommended her books to me, and I do love finding new and interesting Australian books to read. I particularly love going back to read an author's debut novel, and I can see why she won an Award for this novel and received a publishing contract. I can't wait to start If I Should Lose You next to see how she has developed her style.
As the book opens Gaelle is very difficult to like, but as the story unravels and we discover more of her past, (her immediate past and her childhood), we join Gaelle on a journey of self discovery and forgiveness.
I received a copy of A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald from Netgalley for review and decided to start with Lester's previous books first. Mainly because a friend recommended her books to me, and I do love finding new and interesting Australian books to read. I particularly love going back to read an author's debut novel, and I can see why she won an Award for this novel and received a publishing contract. I can't wait to start If I Should Lose You next to see how she has developed her style.
November 8, 2022
This novel opens in Sydney, with 36-week pregnant Gaelle, a fashion photographer, about to have an emergency caesarian. It then skips ahead to a few months after the birth, and the reader sees Gaelle seeking out sexual partners, ruining her own dinner party, then unexpectedly pregnant again and seeking an abortion. Her husband Jason, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is immersed in his work and unsuspecting of Gaelle's activities. He knows something is wrong but not how to help.
Gaelle ultimately flees her own thirtieth birthday party and boards a plane to Western Australia, where she escapes to a seaside resort at Busselton. She befriends an eleven-year-old girl, Selena, and begins to tell Selena the story of her childhood. The reader learns of Gaelle's flighty and unstable mother, who took her daughter from the safety of her grandparents' farm in France, to London, where she left Gaelle alone at night while she went ‘dancing’, and alone again during the day while she recovered.
‘When we arrived at the flats my mother was sitting on the landing in one of the chairs; it looked as though she had been poured into it, as though she was liquescent. I tiptoed over and kissed her cheek. She didn’t move. I didn’t expect her to. Her vision remained loose, as if looking into time.’ (p. 106)
The reader also sees the young photographer emerging:
‘Then I took my mother’s picture. I don’t know if it was because her eyes were closed and I could not see inside her but even as I took it I knew I wanted something more substantial. I wanted to lift her lids and see what lay at the bottom of her eyes.’ (p. 158)
This first part of this novel isn’t an easy read – we see a mother unraveling, making immature choices, having affairs on a benign husband -- an unmothered woman unable to escape the patterns of her childhood. The reader suspects the reasons for her unraveling, and it is a relief in a way when it is revealed towards the end of the book. The reader comes to understand and forgive Gaelle, and the book ends with hope and the beginnings of healing:
‘For the second time since I had met Jason I thought that it was time to stop running.’ (p. 211)
The characters in this novel have all been fully drawn -- none are stereotypes. The other star is the prose. Beautiful phrases like: ‘and words that sat like clouds around our mouths’ (p. 32), ‘the air as weightless as hope’ (p. 137), ‘watching dusk draw silhouettes over the lawn’ (p. 138), ‘alabaster shards of moonlight splinter over her face’ (p. 160).
I love books like this, that are a bit confronting, that tackle the not-so-pretty side of human nature and motherhood. It's not all cuddles and loveliness, and it can be especially hard as a mother not to repeat the patterns of one's own childhood.
Gaelle ultimately flees her own thirtieth birthday party and boards a plane to Western Australia, where she escapes to a seaside resort at Busselton. She befriends an eleven-year-old girl, Selena, and begins to tell Selena the story of her childhood. The reader learns of Gaelle's flighty and unstable mother, who took her daughter from the safety of her grandparents' farm in France, to London, where she left Gaelle alone at night while she went ‘dancing’, and alone again during the day while she recovered.
‘When we arrived at the flats my mother was sitting on the landing in one of the chairs; it looked as though she had been poured into it, as though she was liquescent. I tiptoed over and kissed her cheek. She didn’t move. I didn’t expect her to. Her vision remained loose, as if looking into time.’ (p. 106)
The reader also sees the young photographer emerging:
‘Then I took my mother’s picture. I don’t know if it was because her eyes were closed and I could not see inside her but even as I took it I knew I wanted something more substantial. I wanted to lift her lids and see what lay at the bottom of her eyes.’ (p. 158)
This first part of this novel isn’t an easy read – we see a mother unraveling, making immature choices, having affairs on a benign husband -- an unmothered woman unable to escape the patterns of her childhood. The reader suspects the reasons for her unraveling, and it is a relief in a way when it is revealed towards the end of the book. The reader comes to understand and forgive Gaelle, and the book ends with hope and the beginnings of healing:
‘For the second time since I had met Jason I thought that it was time to stop running.’ (p. 211)
The characters in this novel have all been fully drawn -- none are stereotypes. The other star is the prose. Beautiful phrases like: ‘and words that sat like clouds around our mouths’ (p. 32), ‘the air as weightless as hope’ (p. 137), ‘watching dusk draw silhouettes over the lawn’ (p. 138), ‘alabaster shards of moonlight splinter over her face’ (p. 160).
I love books like this, that are a bit confronting, that tackle the not-so-pretty side of human nature and motherhood. It's not all cuddles and loveliness, and it can be especially hard as a mother not to repeat the patterns of one's own childhood.
July 30, 2017
This book is so beautifully written, and so sad. It's kind of written in fragments, which I think fits with the themes of loss and grief in the story. Switching between Gaelle telling the story of her childhood, and her mothers whimsical lack of commitment, and the present when Gaelle is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her baby (this was obvious from the beginning, but was still gradually unravelled and only confirmed towards the end of the novel, the only time the word stillborn is actually mentioned). This first novel of Lester's is very different in style to her most recent novels, which are historical fiction, but I really loved the lyrical writing and the emotive language used without becoming too sappy or overly depressing. Definitely not a childrens book, as the girl in the book store tried to tell me, and not particularly fast paced- but the setting of a small holiday town on the WA coast definitely fits the lanquid pace, and gives Gaelle a perfect setting to start to accept her past and to begin to heal.
September 1, 2017
This story is intrinsically interwoven with all the elements of motherhood: love, hate, inspiration, degradation, hope, failure and all that is in between.
Natasha Lester has written a beautifully tragic story that had me entranced from start to finish. The stories within stories of Gaelle and her relationship with her family and friends, transported me to other times and places and fairytales. The language and writing style Natasha has used in this novel is nothing short of magical. 5/5
Natasha Lester has written a beautifully tragic story that had me entranced from start to finish. The stories within stories of Gaelle and her relationship with her family and friends, transported me to other times and places and fairytales. The language and writing style Natasha has used in this novel is nothing short of magical. 5/5
April 6, 2013
This is an excellent novel, particularly as it comes from a relatively new writer.
As its title suggests, the book itself leaves something over in the reader's contemplation, at least in mine.
It's a story of unmothered mothering that is steeped in archetypal fantasy.
The story has very well crafted timing. The reader has no access to the reality of the main character's situation until she is able to face reality.
It's beautifully written. the young girl Selena feels like a fantasy character, very adult for her years. I found myself suspending disbelief in order to allow the journey of the main character.
It's a very contemplative and sometimes confronting work.
As its title suggests, the book itself leaves something over in the reader's contemplation, at least in mine.
It's a story of unmothered mothering that is steeped in archetypal fantasy.
The story has very well crafted timing. The reader has no access to the reality of the main character's situation until she is able to face reality.
It's beautifully written. the young girl Selena feels like a fantasy character, very adult for her years. I found myself suspending disbelief in order to allow the journey of the main character.
It's a very contemplative and sometimes confronting work.
July 13, 2023
Motherhood; something longed for by many and treasured by others. But for Gaelle, the arrival of her precious Aurora sets in motion a series of events that bring the trauma of her own childhood to the surface.
Unable to cope, Gaelle flees from Sydney to Western Australia, stopping in a small beach side town near Dunsborough. Here she meets teenager Selena, a fellow photography hobbyist, and together they delve through the stories of Gaelle's past to help her rebuild her future.
Thank you to @natashalesterauthor and @fremantlepress for gifting me with a copy of this book to read and review. I'm a huge fan of Natasha's work, and I was excited for the chance to read her debut book in its newly republished format.
I went into the book fairly blind (as I prefer to do) and should have kept the tissues handy! Gaelle is such a complex character and as she draws the comparison between her experience of her own mother and the mother she herself has become, its tragic.
Following Gaelle's journey took me on an emotional rollercoaster and I grieved alongside her for the life she could have had. This is a powerful story and it does contain quite heavy themes, so I recommend that you read the Author's trigger warnings prior to commencing this book.
Unable to cope, Gaelle flees from Sydney to Western Australia, stopping in a small beach side town near Dunsborough. Here she meets teenager Selena, a fellow photography hobbyist, and together they delve through the stories of Gaelle's past to help her rebuild her future.
Thank you to @natashalesterauthor and @fremantlepress for gifting me with a copy of this book to read and review. I'm a huge fan of Natasha's work, and I was excited for the chance to read her debut book in its newly republished format.
I went into the book fairly blind (as I prefer to do) and should have kept the tissues handy! Gaelle is such a complex character and as she draws the comparison between her experience of her own mother and the mother she herself has become, its tragic.
Following Gaelle's journey took me on an emotional rollercoaster and I grieved alongside her for the life she could have had. This is a powerful story and it does contain quite heavy themes, so I recommend that you read the Author's trigger warnings prior to commencing this book.
June 30, 2023
Way back in 2010 before the very talented historical fiction writer was the success she is now, Natasha wrote her debut novel, a contemporary fiction tale.
What Is Left Over After is an emotional story that will take you on a journey of grieving, feelings and finding the way back.
From the outside, Gaelle has the perfect life.
A great career, a dashing husband and a glorious home but they are trying to heal from a recent tragedy.
Not being able to cope anymore, Gaelle takes off and arrives in a little coastal town.
There she begins a odyssey of self discovery.
With the help of an unexpected friendship with a thirteen year old girl, she starts to come out the other side and experience life again.
A tale of love and loss.
We all know Natasha for her wonderful stories from the past so this book is quite different from those.
It has emotive writing, a sensitive plot and a number of themes running throughout.
You may even need to grab the tissues for some of it.
A heartbreaking, tender and good read.
What Is Left Over After is an emotional story that will take you on a journey of grieving, feelings and finding the way back.
From the outside, Gaelle has the perfect life.
A great career, a dashing husband and a glorious home but they are trying to heal from a recent tragedy.
Not being able to cope anymore, Gaelle takes off and arrives in a little coastal town.
There she begins a odyssey of self discovery.
With the help of an unexpected friendship with a thirteen year old girl, she starts to come out the other side and experience life again.
A tale of love and loss.
We all know Natasha for her wonderful stories from the past so this book is quite different from those.
It has emotive writing, a sensitive plot and a number of themes running throughout.
You may even need to grab the tissues for some of it.
A heartbreaking, tender and good read.
October 1, 2024
Raw and tough to read!
January 8, 2023
Wouw , wat een boek , prachtig geschreven
Een precair onderwerp en niet de meest makkelijke om over te schrijven
In het begin is Gaelle niet iemand waar je warme gevoelens bij krijgt maar gaandeweg het verhaal ga je steeds meer begrijpen en kan je haar omarmen
Aanrader
Een precair onderwerp en niet de meest makkelijke om over te schrijven
In het begin is Gaelle niet iemand waar je warme gevoelens bij krijgt maar gaandeweg het verhaal ga je steeds meer begrijpen en kan je haar omarmen
Aanrader
September 17, 2010
Natasha’s debut novel What is left over, after won the 2008 TAG Hungerford award. Her short stories and poems have been widely published in journals such as Overland, indigo journal and Wet Ink. She was recently awarded a Fellowship at Varuna, The Writers’ Centre.
Firstly I have to state for the record that I have never written a review, but thought I would put up a little something for this novel. I was one of the lucky ones to be present at the early book launch at the Big Sky Writers & Readers Festival. I couldn’t wait to get home and read it, and I have to say the wait was worth it. In general this probably wouldn’t normally be a novel I would set out to buy, but the title alone is enough to make you curious. After reading the first paragraph, I was hooked.
When Gaelle runs away from her own party, to the opposite side of the country, and the confusion you feel as she speaks about her baby and reveals parts (selective, but relevant to how she feels today) of her childhood to a teenage girl—whom she’s just met, will have you wanting more. You will keep reading until you learn the truth. Lester’s writing style seems to me to be very articulate, and as short as the story was, she was able to get the emotions across with amazing dialogue.
You will have to grab a copy for yourself, you may see it differently. If you are a mother, like myself. I would say it is a must read! I just wish it could have been a little longer, I didn't want the story to end. The perception of whom a mother truly is will always be a questionable one. What is left over, after is one of those perceptions. I loved it!!
Firstly I have to state for the record that I have never written a review, but thought I would put up a little something for this novel. I was one of the lucky ones to be present at the early book launch at the Big Sky Writers & Readers Festival. I couldn’t wait to get home and read it, and I have to say the wait was worth it. In general this probably wouldn’t normally be a novel I would set out to buy, but the title alone is enough to make you curious. After reading the first paragraph, I was hooked.
When Gaelle runs away from her own party, to the opposite side of the country, and the confusion you feel as she speaks about her baby and reveals parts (selective, but relevant to how she feels today) of her childhood to a teenage girl—whom she’s just met, will have you wanting more. You will keep reading until you learn the truth. Lester’s writing style seems to me to be very articulate, and as short as the story was, she was able to get the emotions across with amazing dialogue.
You will have to grab a copy for yourself, you may see it differently. If you are a mother, like myself. I would say it is a must read! I just wish it could have been a little longer, I didn't want the story to end. The perception of whom a mother truly is will always be a questionable one. What is left over, after is one of those perceptions. I loved it!!
December 1, 2014
This is a sad book but a good story well told. The narrative is simple to follow and in parts imaginative and eloquent. And it has no men in it. Well, the husband, Jason, and Pepe, and a man who we are told is lighting the BBQ but is really only a shadow. And a boy at the end who has no name. There are some others as well but nowhere are the men anything other than a backdrop. I found that interesting. Both, that this is how women are often depicted in novels, and, that I only noticed this on reflection. Would a book with a male protagonist be a lesser one if the women were depicted as shallow props for the action man? The answer, I think, is it doesn’t matter. What matters is that a reader becomes engrossed in the story and enjoys the reading of it. I enjoyed this book.
At times it is almost funny. There is a scene where new mums discuss the poo of their child. One has hidden it in the play pen to be used later as play dough. The child that is, not the mum. Those who have been through the self obsessed phase of life that is ‘new baby’, or ‘he’s walking now!’ , and on until ‘empty nest’ will know this. Others will have stood on the outside of that circle of parents and seen it too. Childhood, mothers, fatherhood, homebuilding, a career. What is left over, after? Something, but what it is you will have to decide for yourself.
At times it is almost funny. There is a scene where new mums discuss the poo of their child. One has hidden it in the play pen to be used later as play dough. The child that is, not the mum. Those who have been through the self obsessed phase of life that is ‘new baby’, or ‘he’s walking now!’ , and on until ‘empty nest’ will know this. Others will have stood on the outside of that circle of parents and seen it too. Childhood, mothers, fatherhood, homebuilding, a career. What is left over, after? Something, but what it is you will have to decide for yourself.
April 30, 2012
Sometimes when I go to the library I pick a random book off the shelf. I shut my eyes and grab a book and hope for a winner. Not so lucky this time!
The story is about a woman who has given birth to a stillborn baby and the consequences of that on her and her marriage. The part that really irritated me about this novel is that the author tried to turn into some kind of mystery as to why the protagonist is acting like a dolt. I mean was it really necessary to do a big reveal at the end that their daughter died? It was freaking obvious that is what happened so just say it. Wouldn't it have been more honourable to have her say, I had a daughter and she died and I want to talk about her. Instead she turns into a sex crazed, mother hating, run away! Absurd.
The story is about a woman who has given birth to a stillborn baby and the consequences of that on her and her marriage. The part that really irritated me about this novel is that the author tried to turn into some kind of mystery as to why the protagonist is acting like a dolt. I mean was it really necessary to do a big reveal at the end that their daughter died? It was freaking obvious that is what happened so just say it. Wouldn't it have been more honourable to have her say, I had a daughter and she died and I want to talk about her. Instead she turns into a sex crazed, mother hating, run away! Absurd.
April 27, 2023
This is my first Natasha Lester novel, which is also the authors debut novel written in 2010.
This book was a powerful, sensitive, heartbreaking story about motherhood, families and loss.
Gaelle looks like she has a wonderful life but not everything works out for her. I found it difficult to read about her childhood and the stories of her mother. It really broke my heart.
However, as Gaelle shared these memories of growing up to a 13 year old stranger, Selena, it helped her come to terms with what is happening in her life.
Beautifully written but so sad. I shed a few tears in the last few chapters.
Thank you @fremantlepress for sending me a review copy of this new edition in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a powerful, sensitive, heartbreaking story about motherhood, families and loss.
Gaelle looks like she has a wonderful life but not everything works out for her. I found it difficult to read about her childhood and the stories of her mother. It really broke my heart.
However, as Gaelle shared these memories of growing up to a 13 year old stranger, Selena, it helped her come to terms with what is happening in her life.
Beautifully written but so sad. I shed a few tears in the last few chapters.
Thank you @fremantlepress for sending me a review copy of this new edition in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2023
A truly beautiful capture of loss and love. It touched my heart. I totally see why you won a writers award.
Gaelle is working for a fashion magazine. She is married to Jason, a surgeon who loves her completely. They are having a baby, but life changes everything.
Gaelle's own childhood was different, and she has reservations of becoming a mum. But when her world turns upside down, she flees to find answers.
I was totally emotionally moved by this book.
I work on a bereavement ward and have to see these mother's and fathers leave without their babies. It's heart renching, and I'll never get used to it.
Gaelle is working for a fashion magazine. She is married to Jason, a surgeon who loves her completely. They are having a baby, but life changes everything.
Gaelle's own childhood was different, and she has reservations of becoming a mum. But when her world turns upside down, she flees to find answers.
I was totally emotionally moved by this book.
I work on a bereavement ward and have to see these mother's and fathers leave without their babies. It's heart renching, and I'll never get used to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2024
This was a story within a story within a story! It focuses on love, loss, relationships and grief.
March 26, 2022
A very sad story of motherhood and the loss felt as a baby is stillborn - a subject not often addressed in literature. Gaelle comes to terms with her loss by facing the memories of her own strange childhood and her mother’s disconnectedness. Not one of my favourite Natasha Lester novels.
October 6, 2012
Gaelle is a 30 year old woman, married to a heart surgeon and mother of a baby girl Aurora. French by nationality she has made a life for herself in Sydney and has a fulfilling career as the beauty editor of a magazine. So what could possibly drive her to start sleeping with random men and more bizarrely board a flight for Western Australia with just the clothes on her back without bothering to tell her husband or friends?
Multi-layered and quite dark at times, What is Left Over, After explores many issues relating to marriage and motherhood. I found Gaelle quite unlikable to start with, but as her character is explored via her interractions with a teenager she meets on the beach, I found myself softening, as the reasons for her seeiming self-centred behaviour are gradually revealed.
The most outstanding thing about this book is the writing itself. Beautiful and haunting, it flows off the pages and draws you further into the story. Even though I found parts of the story a little disturbing it was thought provoking and compelling, with each chapter drawing you further into the intrigue.
Suspenseful until the end, this is a book that will keep you engaged until the last word.
Multi-layered and quite dark at times, What is Left Over, After explores many issues relating to marriage and motherhood. I found Gaelle quite unlikable to start with, but as her character is explored via her interractions with a teenager she meets on the beach, I found myself softening, as the reasons for her seeiming self-centred behaviour are gradually revealed.
The most outstanding thing about this book is the writing itself. Beautiful and haunting, it flows off the pages and draws you further into the story. Even though I found parts of the story a little disturbing it was thought provoking and compelling, with each chapter drawing you further into the intrigue.
Suspenseful until the end, this is a book that will keep you engaged until the last word.
May 17, 2016
I wanted to read this book for one reason only: I did one of Natasha’s online courses and developed a huge respect for her.
So let’s be clear about this – I don’t read stories like this; about women, their babies, their haunting pasts. Twice in the first sixty pages I wanted to be done with it.
But I didn’t stop. Not because of my respect for the author, but the outstanding way in which it is written. This is an exquisite piece of art.
I also find first person narratives can be emotionally monotonous, leaving me drained. Not so in ‘What is Left Over, After’. When I read the two tales Natasha has woven together, I heard two distinct voices, balancing and offsetting each other. And by the end of the book, I was bawling my eyes out.
No wonder Natasha won the T.A.G. Hungerford award with this novel. It is beautiful and I feel enriched for venturing out of my nice comfortable genre.
I can't wait to read ‘If I Should Lose You’.
So let’s be clear about this – I don’t read stories like this; about women, their babies, their haunting pasts. Twice in the first sixty pages I wanted to be done with it.
But I didn’t stop. Not because of my respect for the author, but the outstanding way in which it is written. This is an exquisite piece of art.
I also find first person narratives can be emotionally monotonous, leaving me drained. Not so in ‘What is Left Over, After’. When I read the two tales Natasha has woven together, I heard two distinct voices, balancing and offsetting each other. And by the end of the book, I was bawling my eyes out.
No wonder Natasha won the T.A.G. Hungerford award with this novel. It is beautiful and I feel enriched for venturing out of my nice comfortable genre.
I can't wait to read ‘If I Should Lose You’.
October 3, 2013
I loved this book! I was fortunate enough to have done a creative writing course with Natasha Lester, otherwise I may not have discovered her books. Actually I may not have discovered many books but for her and my fellow classmates. What I loved about What is Left Over, After was its simplicity. The writing pulled you, not a dramatic cliff hanger way, but like its beach holiday town setting, which in itself is almost a character in the book, the story just keeps you wanting to turn the pages. This is a book about being lost, and also finding yourself, and the main character Gaelle, although complex and melancholy due to her loss was also very likable. Her relationship with Selena was exactly the sort of nurturing we all should be doing with our young women.
August 27, 2012
Powerful images, symbolism and psychology in Natasha Lester's first novel. I found reading it a bit like getting to know someone who is misunderstood. I really did not like Gaelle in the first part of the book! By the end of course this had changed. I enjoyed the journey!
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September 19, 2011Beautifully written. The second last chapter made me cry.
April 13, 2023
What Is Left Over, After by Australian author Natasha Lester is a powerful fiction story taking you on a journey through the emptiness of dysfunctional grieving.
Gaelle, a Beauty Editor living in Sydney with her heart surgeon husband Jason is 36-weeks pregnant. She lives a self-satisfying and fulfilling life but all that changes when she goes in to have an emergency caesarean and her baby is stillborn.
The story begins one month after Aurora was born on the night of her due date, Gaelle is numb and feels alone in her grief, she begins to have sex with various men to erase the memory of her baby girl and her identity as a parent. Jason becomes engrossed in his work and has no idea how much his wife has changed.
Feeling disconnected and void of all emotions Gaelle deserts her life on her thirtieth birthday with little belongings, she travels to a small seaside town in Western Australia. Whilst there she meets thirteen-year-old Selena who soon becomes her confidant. Gaelle reveals stories of her childhood in London with her mother after moving from her grandparents' farm in France.
How she handles the loss is not straightforward, I enjoyed how the author takes Gaelle on a wayward journey and you feel her frustrations at every angle. Can she deal with the loss? Can she grow through it? Can the void in her heart be filled again and how?
The reader is pulled into the hearts of the protagonist, feeling the contours of her grief and pain. Natasha Lester writes with expertise on the subject, showing there is no way to grieve. Gaelle is faced with a personal maze, which is messy, chaotic, and hard, leaving her with an empty space on her sanity and grip on life.
My feelings truly went on a roller-coaster ride, I found myself getting emotional as I went through the ups and downs with Gaelle. There is heartbreak, grief, loss, regret, courage and, most of all, love. There are a few surprises that I didn’t expect, and it made the story that much more interesting.
The mark of an excellent book is the way the storyteller brings you into what is a real-life situation, and I could not fault Natasha's writing style throughout the entire book. At the end of each chapter, I was left wanting to know what would happen next, as if I were reading a suspense novel. She personalises this story with ease and grace.
What Is Left Over, After is honest and straightforward. The themes of a stillbirth and dealing with such tremendous pain and finding your way back will connect with readers.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Fremantle Press, for the opportunity to read and review.
Gaelle, a Beauty Editor living in Sydney with her heart surgeon husband Jason is 36-weeks pregnant. She lives a self-satisfying and fulfilling life but all that changes when she goes in to have an emergency caesarean and her baby is stillborn.
The story begins one month after Aurora was born on the night of her due date, Gaelle is numb and feels alone in her grief, she begins to have sex with various men to erase the memory of her baby girl and her identity as a parent. Jason becomes engrossed in his work and has no idea how much his wife has changed.
Feeling disconnected and void of all emotions Gaelle deserts her life on her thirtieth birthday with little belongings, she travels to a small seaside town in Western Australia. Whilst there she meets thirteen-year-old Selena who soon becomes her confidant. Gaelle reveals stories of her childhood in London with her mother after moving from her grandparents' farm in France.
How she handles the loss is not straightforward, I enjoyed how the author takes Gaelle on a wayward journey and you feel her frustrations at every angle. Can she deal with the loss? Can she grow through it? Can the void in her heart be filled again and how?
The reader is pulled into the hearts of the protagonist, feeling the contours of her grief and pain. Natasha Lester writes with expertise on the subject, showing there is no way to grieve. Gaelle is faced with a personal maze, which is messy, chaotic, and hard, leaving her with an empty space on her sanity and grip on life.
My feelings truly went on a roller-coaster ride, I found myself getting emotional as I went through the ups and downs with Gaelle. There is heartbreak, grief, loss, regret, courage and, most of all, love. There are a few surprises that I didn’t expect, and it made the story that much more interesting.
The mark of an excellent book is the way the storyteller brings you into what is a real-life situation, and I could not fault Natasha's writing style throughout the entire book. At the end of each chapter, I was left wanting to know what would happen next, as if I were reading a suspense novel. She personalises this story with ease and grace.
What Is Left Over, After is honest and straightforward. The themes of a stillbirth and dealing with such tremendous pain and finding your way back will connect with readers.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Fremantle Press, for the opportunity to read and review.
September 21, 2023
I’m a big fan of Lester’s historical fiction - like I think they are 5 star books that balance character, prose and plot perfectly - but this is not that. I picked it up as I was curious about her beginnings as an author and while the beginning left much to be desired (the prose was a bit purple, characters thin and plot lacking…which come to think of it can be said of many “literary” books so maybe it’s not her fault but rather the fault of the genre she was writing in) the ending was her classic pull you through the last 30% at a breakneck speed because you’re somehow just so invested. I’m glad the ending came together well so I could give it 3 stars and make up for the wane beginning. All in all, I wouldn’t read again, but it was enjoyable to see the authorial beginnings of one of my favourite authors.
April 29, 2024
After loss and the complex waves of grief we take a look at the ways in which one copes. Her life of storytelling and tales. The first while I really couldn’t connect to the main character and her behaviour. But the inconsistency in what she said and what I thought had happened kept me intrigued. Her disconnect with her world, herself and what has actually happened.
It seemed focused on story telling. When you delved into her life it made more sense but was hard to engage with her especially at the beginning.
It was unique and different to read but was interesting. I actually ended up enjoying it far more than I thought in the beginning. It really made you think and almost guess. A good look at grief and the stories we tell ourselves. The way the mind copes and deals.
Not normally the style I would read but after pushing through the start I ended up liking it a lot.
It seemed focused on story telling. When you delved into her life it made more sense but was hard to engage with her especially at the beginning.
It was unique and different to read but was interesting. I actually ended up enjoying it far more than I thought in the beginning. It really made you think and almost guess. A good look at grief and the stories we tell ourselves. The way the mind copes and deals.
Not normally the style I would read but after pushing through the start I ended up liking it a lot.
June 10, 2023
Natasha Lester’s debut novel, reprinted in 2023, is quite different front the historical fiction she’s become known for. A story of love and loss and finding your place in the word, it follows Gaelle, a French born beauty editor who flees her life in Sydney after the loss of her baby daughter (the novel starts with this so it’s not a spoiler). Gaelle heads to the South West of Western Australia for some respite. Here she meets the young Selina and tells her the stories of her life and of her own mother. An enjoyable read.
April 3, 2024
This seems to be a pretty well-crafted debut but I could not engage with the characters so it left me a bit cold. In her grief over a stillborn baby, Gaelle escapes Sydney for Fremantle, without telling friends or family. In an effort to come to terms with her present, Gaelle begins to dissect her difficult past with a physically & psychologically absent mother. In talking through her life with teenage Selena, Gaelle starts to understand herself better & both of them reap positive rewards from the relationship.
I can't say I enjoyed it much, but I'm happy to have read Lester's first book.
I can't say I enjoyed it much, but I'm happy to have read Lester's first book.
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