We follow Jimmy as he makes sense of his new surroundings and uncovers a secret that relates to the lovely couple who have taken him and his little brother into their home. Human, warm, funny, thrilling, and above all, compelling, The Valley of Lost Secrets leads the reader effortlessly into a convincing world of wartime Wales. 'Beautifully written, this story of two brothers from London struggling with homesickness and the mysteries of their new surroundings is one of the best books I've read this year. And the ending is truly satisfying.' - Julia Green The story moves along at a compelling pace, the historical background is lightly touched in, the characters are memorable. I particularly loved the way Lesley describes the landscape and its people. 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. '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. 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 Farook '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. 'An evacuee story with all the makings of a classic.' - Anna Fargher This story is quietly brutal and brilliantly heartfelt. 'With echoes of Carrie's War, and Goodnight Mister Tom, Parr brings her own fresh voice to what already feels like a wartime classic.

Valley of the lost secrets