The Valley of Lost Secrets

Product Information

A big grin breaks out on his face, stretching his moustache and making him look like a happy walrus. He misses his Dad, Nan, his friend who has suddenly found new friends and he doesn’t want any fussing from Mrs Thomas - she’s not family and he’s not staying long enough to get comfy. Mr and mrs Thomas were so kind and welcoming to the two boys, despite the town often being against them. But the story has a slightly darker feeling to it too, with themes of bullying, grief and of course the discovery of a skull - the mystery of which keeps you engaged and once revealed will have you sobbing! During their journey, they stumbled across some problems like homesickness and environmental changes as they were pretty decent with where they use to live.

The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr | Waterstones

Everything is different and upsetting for Jimmy, especially as his classmates seem to quickly adapt to their new temporary home.

And the brilliance of the story is that as it navigates into a poignant coming-of-age story of courage and resilience and friendship, it shifts into this heart-breaking history of tragedy that settles an ache in my heart over the loss of a loved one.

The Valley of Lost Secrets Teacher Resource Pack Lesley Parr: The Valley of Lost Secrets Teacher Resource Pack

Whilst this is a story of evacuees and the second World War, the war itself does not feature that much; it is all about the place and the sense of place comes across particularly strongly. From the moment she punches one of the bullies who are tormenting Ronnie, she becomes a real friend to Jimmy, and together they join forces to unravel the mystery of the skull - and the missing money!Jimmy’s classmates and his younger brother seem to adjust quickly but Jimmy has a harder time accepting his new normal. I was happy that Gwen and Alun turned out to be kind and caring, even if there was some resentment in the village about the London evacuees.

The Valley of Lost Secrets | Peoples Book Prize The Valley of Lost Secrets | Peoples Book Prize

Lesley Parr’s story of evacuees is rich in atmosphere and a sense of place, and uses its wartime setting to explore themes of community, understanding and self-forgiveness. Two brothers evacuated to Wales along with the rest of their classmates, everyone undergoes changes as an effect of their new surroundings, and not all good.Set during the Second World War, it tells the story of twelve year old Jimmy Travers and his younger brother Ronnie, who have been evacuated from London to the relative safety of Llanbryn, a village in Wales. Jimmy and Ronnie were both such lovely characters and I loved seeing them settling in to the Welsh village where they have been evacuated to. Despite their kindness, he is angry with the world and irritated that his brother and classmates have settled in so easily in their new homes.