This story made me feel every emotion possible. Heartbreaking at times but also full of possibility and light. A brilliant mystery that had me hooked from start to finish.

The Valley Of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr is a marvellous children’s novel for ages ten and over.
The novel is written in the first person from the point of view of twelve year old Jimmy, who along with his brother six year old Ronnie, is evacuated to a Welsh mining village. The reader witnesses how hard it is to settle when everything has been ripped away from you. It almost feels like a betrayal if you start to feel happy. Jimmy experiences many conflicting emotions as he receives unconditional kindness.
There is a beautiful caring bond between the brothers as Jimmy knows just what Ronnie needs to flourish.
The evacuees from London meet both kindness and hostility from the locals, both young and old. Those who should know better are quick to point the finger and criticise and accuse.
Traumas from the past have held a life to ransom, always returning to a moment in time.
A landscape that is wild and rugged holds secrets of its own.
Being evacuated changes relationships. Best friends drift apart. Those who were previously ostracised are seen to have hearts of gold.
I absolutely adored The Valley Of The Lost Secrets. It is a marvellous debut novel. I have also read Lesley Parr’s second book, When The War Came Home, which is fabulous too. She is a master storyteller. I cannot wait for more from her.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

This was a fantastic read and I really enjoyed it.
I thought this is a brilliant children's book and one I really enjoyed as an adult and would highly recommended.

Even if I'm well over the target age I loved this story because it talks about children but it's also an excellent of historical fiction with some mystery in the mix.
There's plenty going on, the characters are well thought and the historical background is well researched and vivid.
I loved the storytelling and the character development.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This first novel of Lesley Parr’s explores the relationship between two brothers uprooted from their London lives and evacuated to a small mining town in Wales during the Second World War. It’s a novel setting – most children’s authors tend to place their evacuees in run down old country homes in idyllic countryside. Here, we see a different picture, of children placed in a village with a darker side, among strangers who are less than welcoming, and whose histories are shady. Parr exploits this different setting to do different things with her novel – it’s not primarily an adventure, but more an exploration of friendships, and the journey of discovering that people are not what they are assumed to be; when removed from London and the cliques and constraints of class, protagonist Jimmy sees the true colours of his friends Florence and Duffy come to the surface, and they are not at all what he expected.

However, despite the complexities of setting and plot, I found this read difficult to fully enjoy. The premise of the plot was less than believable – I didn’t really understand why people might really have believed that Mr. Thomas had done away with his brother – and I really didn’t enjoy the use of the first person present throughout to tell the story. It seems a common writing tactic in young people’s fiction at the moment, but I just find it creates a barrier as in this instance it reads clunkily instead of drawing the reader into the mind of the protagonist.

Jimmy and Ronnie are sent with the rest of their class to a village in Wales to escape the risk of bombings in London. Jimmy is so protective of his little brother but at the same time feels dispirited that Ronnie is fitting in much quicker than him. Even his best friend seems to have abandoned him.
How scary it must have been for the brothers, having to leave their home and family to be sent to the countryside as evacuee children. Not knowing which family you'd have to live with or how long you'll be away.
This was a sweet story but mostly quite slow until later in the book.

The Valley of Lost Secrets is a beautifully evocative historical mystery, set in a mining community in the Welsh Valleys at the onset of the Second World War, both heart-breaking and heart-warming, and written with such quality that it effortlessly transported me back to this era and into the lives of this community and its new residents.
At the start of the Second World War, Jimmy Travers and his younger brother Ronnie are evacuated from London to the village of LLanbryn in Wales. They are hosted by the kind-hearted Gwen and Alun Thomas who are ever patient and give the boys the space they need in order to settle into this new life. Whilst young Ronnie settles quickly to his new family and life, Jimmy finds it much more difficult and feels that he doesn’t belong. He feels a huge weight of responsibility in caring for his younger brother, and keeps his host family at an emotional distance. He feels like an outsider, struggling to adapt to this new life in this strange place, and my heart went out to him.
Other children have been evacuated alongside the Travers brothers and it is not long before they meet classmate Florence and Jimmy’s best friend, Duff. The exploration of how others influence us is clearly shown in the way these two have changed since coming to Wales. Florence has been placed with a local shopkeeper and her son, Ieuan, who take good care of her, whilst Duff is influenced by the local vicar’s son and his friends who are terrible bullies. Jimmy’s friendship with Duff is a broken one which leads to him forming new, unexpected friendships elsewhere.
When Jimmy finds himself exploring on his own, he finds a skull hidden in a tree trunk. This discovery leads him, and his new friends, on a path to solving a mystery that has affected the community for many years, one that leads to the disclosure of past secrets and an opportunity for healing.
The changing relationships between the evacuated children themselves and their hosts is wonderfully portrayed as time allows the building of trust, and tentative friendships the space to grow and flourish. I adored the friendship which develops between Florence and Jimmy, and the kindness in the way she takes Ronnie under her wing. It is clear that Florence was an outsider at school and treated horribly but, as she opens up more to Jimmy, he begins to understand more about her life in London. Florence is an incredibly sympathetic and gutsy character who has had to deal with a lot in her young life, yet grasps the opportunities and fresh start given to her with both hands.
I loved the unravelling of the mystery in this story which was cleverly interwoven with brotherhood, healing and community. A heartfelt story of having the courage to trust, having the strength to open your heart to others despite past hurt, and of brotherhood, family and friendship. This is a story that deserves to become a children’s classic.

Where do I start with this one… Wow. Seriously. Just wow.

The Valley of Lost Secrets transports us to the glorious Welsh countryside in 1939 during WW2 and follows the lives of two brothers – 12 yr old Jimmy and 6 yr old Ronnie. Because of the war, they have been evacuated! Sent away from their family in Islington to the small southern Welsh – and fictional – town of Llanbry. It’s a quaint mining town surrounded by reaching mountains and a close-knit community. You know, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone and everyone has an opinion. Yeah, that kind of place.

But not everyone is weird and ‘judgy’. Some folk are quite the opposite, like Mr and Mrs Thomas who chose to welcome Jimmy and Ronnie into their home. Ronnie takes it all in his stride with a charming naivety but not Jimmy. Jimmy doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like the town, the mountains, the people… they should not be here, they should be with their proper family.

One thing I love about Ronnie is that he knows the correct way to eat a custard cream… “He’s twisted the top off his biscuit and is licking the creamy bit”. Legend.

Anyway, everything changes for Jimmy when he discovers a human skull in the hollow of a tree. This poses more questions and gives Jimmy a new sense of fear and uncertainty of the potential secrets this strange place contains. And begs the question… Who can he trust?

What author Lesley Parr has created here is a masterclass in writing. I was hooked from the get-go and the way she describes the lush green scenery really does show her fondness for Wales. What I was also utterly enthralled in were the characters. How they grew and learned things about themselves and saw things in others that they couldn’t see before.

Take Florence for example (my favourite character in the book) Florence was someone Jimmy knew from back home but you didn’t talk to her, she’s weird and you might catch something. That is just some of the harshness thrown her way from the other kids at school but little do they know, life at home for Florence wasn’t great. There was a reason for her unkempt hair and ‘scruffy’ clothes’. But Florence seems to really love the new people who took her in, she no longer has to look over her shoulder and live in fear and as a result, really shines and show who she really is. A brave, funny, intelligent and fiercely loyal friend.

Lesley has created a book full of emotion and friendship which really hits home and shows just how important it is to have close connections to those around you and that when you are surrounded by love and kindness, the real you can flourish. If you don’t get at least a little emotional reading this I’d be shocked. An honestly magical book which EASILY walks into my top 3. I’ll be recommending this for years.

I found this book intriguing and we'll researched but overall quite thin and too reliant on coincidences to drive the plot, The characters were spirited and we'll written, with memorable personalities, and I loved the interactions between all the kids. The Welsh village was also vividly described, and it was refreshing to read about a more positive and welcoming evacuees experience. The family were lovely and the lost brother storyline was definitely a tugging at the heart strings back story. My main issue with it was how easy the mystery was solved after so long, and actually how much easier it would have been if the kids has asked questions instead of keeping their grisly find to themselves. And working out how the brother died felt even more coincidental, especially as it had the potential to kill a character! I dunno, it's one I wanted to enjoy far more than I did but I feel it may become a book I forget about quite quickly.

A beautiful book full of warmth and charm.
With a traditional feel that oozes charm, Lesley Parr whisks us back to WW2 and two young brothers evacuated to Wales. Parr captures the tenderness between these two so beautifull.y. Jimmy is a fabulous big brother.
As they adapt to live in Wales, they have friendships to navigate (and the Welsh hills), and secrets to uncover. Set against the atmospheric Welsh landscape, and peppered with Welsh language.
I shall be telling everyone about it!

Emma Perry
Picture book author & founder of MyBookCorner

It's exactly the kind of book I loved reading as a child (okay, I still do), and I totally fell in love with Jimmy, the London evacuee sent to live in Wales. I don't really know Wales, but the Lesley's warm evocation of the landscape, language and local characters made me want to visit and explore it for myself. The story has all the elements you could ask for: mystery, friendship and betrayal, conflict and resolution. It's a beauty, and I know it'll join the bookshelves as a much-lived and re-read friend for years to come. I can't wait for what she brings us next!

Wow! This was a compelling read. I loved it from start to finish. The story of two brothers evacuated from London to a small Welsh mining village at the start of the Second World War. Ronnie is only six and takes to life in the country straight away, but for his older brother, Jimmy, things are a bit more difficult. There are some in the village who view the evacuees with distrust. Jimmy doesn't want to be there, but then a chance discovery gives him a mystery to solve. This is a wonderful read. It made me laugh, cry and cheer. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved The Valley of Lost Secrets. It is so beautifully written and is full of feeling.
Through the eyes of 12 year old Jimmy, the reader is immediately swept up into the life of a young evacuee and all the trials and tribulations that go along with it. The children find themselves a world away from London and and it is here, in a little Welsh mining village, that Jimmy uncovers a long hidden secret and a mystery that need solving.
The children’s characters and relationships are so credible and carefully crafted in this story that you can’t help but be drawn straight in. I particularly loved the relationship between the two brothers, at times so humorous and at others heartbreaking.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone aged 9+ and know it will be a valuable addition to my class bookshelf.

A heartbreaking and heartwarming story at the same time. Well written and great illustrations. It's an exciting story that keeps you reading and I think will keep the attention of children.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review.

This is a triumph of a book! It gave me everything I was looking for and so much more. It is now my favourite WW2 middle grade book. I will be adding it to our class library and highly recommending it.

We follow 12-year-old Jimmy and his younger brother Ronnie as they, and some of their classmates, are evacuated to Wales during the war. While Ronnie quickly settles into his new life, Jimmy struggles to adjust to all the changes. Can he trust the adults who have taken them in? Why are people from his old school behaving so differently here? And what secrets are people keeping? When Jimmy discovers a hidden skull, he starts to question what has happened in the valley and he is determined to find answers to the mystery.

I've read a lot of WW2 historical fiction and many stories about evacuees, but this one still feels very fresh and original. I was fully immersed in the story: the stark contrast painted between the Welsh mining village and London; the hum of local gossip and the impact caused by a group of evacuees arriving in the village. Each character is portrayed so realistically that it is easy to feel the struggles they are going through and empathise with their situations.

There are funny moments, adventures, plenty of danger and also really touching moments that brought me to tears several times. This book has an excellent message about how we sometimes judge people and treat them based on how they look or what we expect them to be like. The secrets and mysteries are intriguing and I found the answers to all of these very satisfying.

As well as being an exciting mystery and a heartwarming tale, the author also integrates lots of interesting historical facts into the story. Things such as the types of food available and how these compare to what people in had in London, the homemade shelters people built in their gardens and many more details that must have been carefully researched. I love it when I can recommend a great story to children in my class and know that they will also be learning real and accurate information from reading it.

I think this would be a great book for readers aged 9+ and anyone doing a topic on WW2 should definitely include it in their classroom library.

A beautiful story about family, home and belonging.

When Jimmy and his little brother Ronnie are evacuated from London to South Wales, all Jimmy wants to do is go back home. Not everyone in his new town wants to welcome the evacuees, his friends from home have all changed, and a gruesome discovery at an old tree makes him wonder if Wales might be more dangerous than London, after all.

Stuck in a small town that's full of big secrets, Jimmy will have to navigate homesickness, fitting in, and changing friendships on top of the war.

Parr's writing brings the Welsh countryside to life in vivid detail. The Valley of Lost Secrets offers a brilliant snapshot of life as an evacuee, which children will find in equal parts fascinating and heartbreaking. It reminded me of stories by grandad used to tell me from his own time as an evacuee, and I realised these first-hand accounts won't be something my own children get to experience, making books like The Valley of Lost Secrets even more valuable.

Despite the difference in time and circumstance, Jimmy is a character young readers will easily relate to, as he struggles to accept his new life in Wales and resents his younger brother, Ronnie, for the way he fits in with the Thomases. I read this book in one day, hooked by the characters and story. I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you Bloomsbury for letting me review an advanced copy of The Valley of Lost Secrets.

This was a lovely book to read, easy to get into with a well considered plot and wonderfully drawn characters. Parr perfectly captures how it must have felt for many evacuees coming from London to Wales, for some it was a traumatic wrench, for others a welcome relief. The story itself incorporates this into a tale of friendship, loss and family bonds that unfolds amid Jimmy's struggle to adjust. I absolutely loved this beautifully written book and look forward to her next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Childrens for approving me to read 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝓸𝓯 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 by Lesley Parr.
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𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞'𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬.
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This was an excellent children's book, and I think readers of all ages will enjoy it.
The main story follows Jimmy and Ronnie, two young brothers who are evacuated from Islington to Llanbryn during the war.
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𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦.
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Parr captures the perspective of Jimmy perfectly. Being twelve, he is too young to fully understand the world of grown ups, but sees himself as too old to join in with the younger kids. He clearly feels responsible for Ronnie, and wants to take care of him at all costs.
At first he feels alienated, and like he struggles to fit in. However, as the story progresses he recognises that he does fit in, if only he allows himself to really be a part of his new family.
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𝐌𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧. 𝐈 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐞𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
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There are a number of themes running through the story that include important lessons for children.
One of these themes is friendship. Parr captures the uniqueness of friendship as a child, and how fierce and fickle these friendships can be.
The relationships between Jimmy, Ronnie, Florence, and Duff, change significantly between Islington and Llanbryn. When they are in a new environment, their true personalities shine through, and they see each other from a new perspective.
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'𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧-𝐮𝐩. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.’
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Jimmy himself grows up as the novel progresses. He quickly recognises Florence as a loyal and true friend, and learns not to make base, shallow judgements about people - especially when those judgements are based on something that is outside of a person's control.
Not everyone is maturing alongside Jimmy though, and he has to learn to leave some of his previous friends behind, and recognise them for the bullies they really are.
This book would definitely be a good read for any children going through significant life changes, as they would be able to relate well to Jimmy.
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‘𝐈 𝐠𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭.’ 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.
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Despite how desperately Jimmy is clinging to his previous life in Islington, it becomes apparent that things weren't as idyll as he may initially have thought.
With the kindness and support of those around him, he thrives, and is soon able to repay The Thomases (his foster family) in ways noone could have expected.
I did shed a few tears towards the end, but don't want to include any spoilers!
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𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.
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Part adventure, part coming-of-age story, I would highly recommend The Valley of Lost Secrets, and would gladly read more from Lesley Parr.

he Valley of Lost Secrets is an evacuee story that focuses on the most important aspect of that endeavour – the day to day lives of the children who were sent from their homes to places so very different from what they knew. Twelve-year-old Jimmy and his six-year-old brother, Ronnie, are evacuated to a village in Wales. Surrounded by green mountains that make them feel so small, the boys are desperate to stay together and to find an adventure within their frightening circumstances.

As they attempt to settle in and find their place in this new life, Jimmy and Ronnie must summon all of their courage and determination to look after each other and stand up for who they are. Faced with bullying and prejudices about evacuees and Londoners, they find making new friends and fitting in difficult. Through challenges, hardships and unanswered questions, they discover who they can trust and what makes someone a good person. In turns out there’s nothing more important than a little brother and a good friend.

Lesley Parr gives readers a wonderful picture of life in South Wales in the 1940s. From work in the colliery to school, church and home life, we are transported into this time of community and striving to make ends meet.

This book celebrates children being children. Exploration, adventure and discovery frame the heart-warming journey they undertake. They find they are happiest when they are exploring the mountain and playing in the trees. Then, one day, they make a discovery that changes everything. The compassion and empathy that comes out of the mystery on the mountain is powerful. Readers learn that everyone has a story and that we should never judge a person until we know what has come before. Jimmy and Ronnie find a place where they can belong and live happily even in the midst of a world war.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for this beautiful book!

An incredible story with many unpredictable twists and turns; I was hooked from the very beginning. What more can you ask for? A children’s book based around World War 2, based in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 , an amazing plot and characters. I loved every twist and turn and it will certainly be a book I’ll be using with my year 5 and 6 class when we do World War 2 .