With echoes of Carrie's War, and Goodnight Mister Tom, Parr brings her own fresh voice to what already feels like a wartime classic. This story if quite brutal and brilliantly heartfelt. I absolutely ADORED it.― Emma Carroll, author of Letters from Lighthouse
Evocative and heartfelt, The Valley of Lost Secrets already reads like a classic. A celebration of kindness and friendship at a time of upheaval, it's gripping, heart-breaking and yet full of hope. I loved it with all my heart.― Liz Hyder, author of Bearmouth
An evacuee story with all the makings of a classic. ― Abba Fargher, author of The Umbrella Mouse
A story of friendship, love, loss and belonging; of looking at people deep past their exterior, and of the love and pain in a human heart. There's a cracking mystery at the centre of it, but it was the Welsh backdrop and Jimmy's journey to acceptance that stayed in my heart long after I'd closed the book. ― Nizrana Farbook, author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant
What a wonderful book. A brilliant debut - warm and tender, simple in the best way, historical fiction with a light touch.― Ross Montgomery, author of The Midnight Guardians
Lesley Parr's The Valley of Lost Secrets, follow Jimmy in wartime, Atmospheric, direct and gripping, with a superbly assured narrative voice, this book is woven through with powerful themes: grief, belonging and making peace with the past.― Guardian
The Valley of Lost Secrets vividly evokes the uncomfortable reality of being an evacuee in a new place very different from home, as experienced by 12- year-old Jimmy. This warm, sensitive story celebrates the Welsh community at its heart, but also shows the complexities of living in a small mining town where everyone knows everyone else. I particularly loved the way Lesley describes the landscape and its people. The story moves along at a compelling pace, the historical background is lightly touched in, the characters are memorable. And the ending is truly satisfying. ― Julia Green, author of The Children of Swallow Fell
The Valley of Lost Secrets is a heartfelt story set in WW2. It's a perfectly woven mystery but so much more than that. It's about families torn apart, sometimes for the better as well as the worse, and a mining community determined to do their best by the evacuees. The ending brought a tear to my eye! This is historical fiction at its finest. ― AM Howell, author of The Garden of Lost Secrets
The Valley of Lost Secrets is a wonderful evocation of wartime Wales. There's great warmth in the portrayal of the main characters, but the author doesn't gloss over the harsh realities of life at the time. The result is a mixture of light and dark, joy and sadness. An unforgettable read.― Claire Fayers, author of The Accidental Pirates
Beautifully told. This appealing book is about losses healed, lies uncovered, cruelty defeated and goodness rewarded.― The Sunday Times
a beautifully told novel ... This appealing book is about losses healed, lies uncovered, cruelty defeated and goodness rewarded ― Children's Book of the Week, The Sunday Times
An exciting adventure. no wonder this mystery about bravery and brotherhood is Waterstones Children's Book of the Month ― Press Association
This is a book about the strength of sibling bonds and having the courage to stand up for honesty and truth. With strong characters, a touch of humour and a mystery to solve this is a wonderfully heartfelt and atmospheric story that will stay long in the mind.― Books for Keeps
The Valley of Lost Secrets is the much-acclaimed debut by Lesley Parr ― Make the last lockdown fly by, Daily Telegraph
Wales works its magic on the at first rather spiky Jimmy - and the reader - and the setting is so strong it almost becomes another character in this compelling story. Full of heart and kindness, this is historical middle-grade fiction at its best and I cannot recommend it highly enough. ― Irish Independent
This WW2 story of evacuees and Welsh valley communities has an immediate feel of familiarity. The characterisation is so warm, the setting so real, it could be Philippa Pearce, or Nina Bawden, but instead it's Lesley Parr and a brand new instant classic. ― Hilary McKay
