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Angel of Grasmere: From Dunkirk to the Fells
208 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 16, 2024
Angel of Grasmere:
Written by Tom Palmer
When I hear the name Tom Palmer I always know I’m in for a great book, these books are always well written and researched well.
Every Spring term at school our year 6 pupils always study ww2 and we use a lot of Tom’s books as they are so well written.
So when I got my hands on his new one I know both myself and the y6 children would be in for a treat
Tarn grapples with the loss of her brother at Dunkirk as she faces the threat of Nazi invasion in the Cumbrian countryside in this gripping wartime tale from Tom Palmer.
July 1940 – as Tarn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved brother in the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk, she and her friends scour the hills around their Lake District home, watching for any signs of the long-dreaded Nazi invasion.
But as the war drags on, with little good news from the front, the locals become aware of someone carrying out anonymous acts of kindness, such as saving a flock of sheep from a snowdrift and getting help for an injured farmer who might otherwise have died.
With no one claiming credit, they come to think of this unidentified stranger as a kind of guardian angel, but when his identity is finally revealed can Tarn come to terms with the truth…?
The ending was so surprising that I didn’t think this would happen but I’m glad it did as again this is another aspect that has never been seen in a MG book. This one has become a rather special book in our household. My grandad was one of the last soldiers rescued from Dunkirk, and he kept a diary that has been printed so I was able to relate to these characters. The research is truly amazing and true. Tom has this knack of getting books into children's hands and he always gets his books right. This won’t be in the library for long…
Written by Tom Palmer
When I hear the name Tom Palmer I always know I’m in for a great book, these books are always well written and researched well.
Every Spring term at school our year 6 pupils always study ww2 and we use a lot of Tom’s books as they are so well written.
So when I got my hands on his new one I know both myself and the y6 children would be in for a treat
Tarn grapples with the loss of her brother at Dunkirk as she faces the threat of Nazi invasion in the Cumbrian countryside in this gripping wartime tale from Tom Palmer.
July 1940 – as Tarn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved brother in the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk, she and her friends scour the hills around their Lake District home, watching for any signs of the long-dreaded Nazi invasion.
But as the war drags on, with little good news from the front, the locals become aware of someone carrying out anonymous acts of kindness, such as saving a flock of sheep from a snowdrift and getting help for an injured farmer who might otherwise have died.
With no one claiming credit, they come to think of this unidentified stranger as a kind of guardian angel, but when his identity is finally revealed can Tarn come to terms with the truth…?
The ending was so surprising that I didn’t think this would happen but I’m glad it did as again this is another aspect that has never been seen in a MG book. This one has become a rather special book in our household. My grandad was one of the last soldiers rescued from Dunkirk, and he kept a diary that has been printed so I was able to relate to these characters. The research is truly amazing and true. Tom has this knack of getting books into children's hands and he always gets his books right. This won’t be in the library for long…
October 3, 2024
Another exceptional book by Tom Palmer. This one is set in 1940, just after Dunkirk. The book is set in the Lake District again, and tells the story through the eyes of the heroine, Tarn. Her brother was lost at Dunkirk, and she is angry with everyone. The book deals with loss and PTSD in a gentle way, and is a fantastic read for year 5 - 7. Highly recommended.
May 31, 2024
Love Tom Palmer’s books, so I knew I would be in for something special.
‘They won’t let me in the CHURCH!’ She screams out over the water, water that bears the same name as her. We find Tarn angry and upset that she wasn’t allowed into the service to remember her brother who was killed in action at Dunkirk.
She lives in the Lake District, Grasmere. Her best friend is Peter, son of a local farmer. They know each other so well they can almost read each other’s mind. They have gained another friend recently, Eric who has been evacuated from Manchester. Tarn finds it difficult to share her best friend with Eric but is able to bond with him when she realises that just like she has lost Joss, he has had to leave his family too. The three become a close little unit, planning adventures & wondering how their lives will pan out. The warmth of their friendship gives a great contrast to the bleak backdrop of war.
Each chapter tells two stories that intertwine. The children’s story meanders with the story of the man - who becomes known as The Angel- touching every so often & telling tales that are so much part of each other & yet seem always a arms length away. This splitting of each chapter really works for me. Tom has really conveyed some of the horrors of war & PSTD in a way that isn’t too overwhelming for children. Just enough details to be understood - very clever & Tom has a real gift for this.
The Lake District landscape is brought to life - in its beauty & its majesty. You can tell that the author has a real love, affection and affinity with the place, it shines through.
Thoughtfully written, thoroughly researched & and absolute must have for everyone’s library.
‘They won’t let me in the CHURCH!’ She screams out over the water, water that bears the same name as her. We find Tarn angry and upset that she wasn’t allowed into the service to remember her brother who was killed in action at Dunkirk.
She lives in the Lake District, Grasmere. Her best friend is Peter, son of a local farmer. They know each other so well they can almost read each other’s mind. They have gained another friend recently, Eric who has been evacuated from Manchester. Tarn finds it difficult to share her best friend with Eric but is able to bond with him when she realises that just like she has lost Joss, he has had to leave his family too. The three become a close little unit, planning adventures & wondering how their lives will pan out. The warmth of their friendship gives a great contrast to the bleak backdrop of war.
Each chapter tells two stories that intertwine. The children’s story meanders with the story of the man - who becomes known as The Angel- touching every so often & telling tales that are so much part of each other & yet seem always a arms length away. This splitting of each chapter really works for me. Tom has really conveyed some of the horrors of war & PSTD in a way that isn’t too overwhelming for children. Just enough details to be understood - very clever & Tom has a real gift for this.
The Lake District landscape is brought to life - in its beauty & its majesty. You can tell that the author has a real love, affection and affinity with the place, it shines through.
Thoughtfully written, thoroughly researched & and absolute must have for everyone’s library.
November 10, 2024
4.5
The first few paragraphs of this book instantly captivated me and I was hooked. “They won’t let me in the CHURCH!” Are the first words we hear from Tarn, who is grieving the loss of her brother Joss at Dunkirk. Set in the Lake District in the early 1940s the story alternates between by Tarn and her friends Peter and Eric, an evacuee from Manchester, and a soldier who his hiding out on the fells to avoid being sent back to war.
I loved Tarn’s kind nature and sense of adventure as well as the beautiful descriptions of the Lake District. Tom Palmer does not shy away from presenting the horrific events of the war and PTSD but manages to do it in a way appropriate for his audience.
What will stay with me however is the message that even in the bleakest of circumstances there are always people who will do good. A timely and memorable read.
The first few paragraphs of this book instantly captivated me and I was hooked. “They won’t let me in the CHURCH!” Are the first words we hear from Tarn, who is grieving the loss of her brother Joss at Dunkirk. Set in the Lake District in the early 1940s the story alternates between by Tarn and her friends Peter and Eric, an evacuee from Manchester, and a soldier who his hiding out on the fells to avoid being sent back to war.
I loved Tarn’s kind nature and sense of adventure as well as the beautiful descriptions of the Lake District. Tom Palmer does not shy away from presenting the horrific events of the war and PTSD but manages to do it in a way appropriate for his audience.
What will stay with me however is the message that even in the bleakest of circumstances there are always people who will do good. A timely and memorable read.
April 30, 2024
I'm not sure Tom can write a bad book - especially the History based ones which I got one of our previous children so hooked on he and his family did the Beaches and Cemeteries but made time to find the grave of Emile Corteil. I might think about lending him this one (his brother is still at our school).
Tarn Fothergill lives in Grasmere, her dad is the head teacher at the village school. With her friend Peter she dreams of getting into Grammar School and travelling the world just as her hero Dorothy Wordsworth had done. It is 1940, Britain is at war. Her brother, Joss, had gone missing in Dunkirk, then they'd had the telegram saying he had died because another soldier saw him go overboard when their rescue boat was hit by German planes as they tried to retreat. But Tarn wasn't allowed to go to the church service - only men were. Tarn loved Joss, it was he that had introduced her to Dorothy Wordsworth and encouraged her to follow that dream. Now he was gone and she was finding it difficult. The fact that Peter had a refugee from Manchester staying on his farm only made it worse, she was not happy to share her friend. Life in the Cumbrian hills isn't easy.
Next to the Tarn (a lake) where she and her brother swam, there was a little tea hut but it wasn't used in the winter....except this year it was being used. A man was sleeping there. He hid himself away; he could not go back to France and he could not go home. He was a deserter. He had to stay hidden.
But surely he could help the nearby village of Grasmere. So he started leaving the fish he caught at the church for those who had none, he mended machinery...soon he was being called the Angel of Grasmere. He was raising the spirits of the village with his kindness, but nobody knew who the Angel was or where they came from.
Can he overcome his fears and reveal himself when worse happens?
Loved this, want to keep it but possibly I should take it to school.... Well done Tom, again a perfect story.
Thanks to Poppy at Barrington Stoke for the early copy.
TA, ESCP.
Tarn Fothergill lives in Grasmere, her dad is the head teacher at the village school. With her friend Peter she dreams of getting into Grammar School and travelling the world just as her hero Dorothy Wordsworth had done. It is 1940, Britain is at war. Her brother, Joss, had gone missing in Dunkirk, then they'd had the telegram saying he had died because another soldier saw him go overboard when their rescue boat was hit by German planes as they tried to retreat. But Tarn wasn't allowed to go to the church service - only men were. Tarn loved Joss, it was he that had introduced her to Dorothy Wordsworth and encouraged her to follow that dream. Now he was gone and she was finding it difficult. The fact that Peter had a refugee from Manchester staying on his farm only made it worse, she was not happy to share her friend. Life in the Cumbrian hills isn't easy.
Next to the Tarn (a lake) where she and her brother swam, there was a little tea hut but it wasn't used in the winter....except this year it was being used. A man was sleeping there. He hid himself away; he could not go back to France and he could not go home. He was a deserter. He had to stay hidden.
But surely he could help the nearby village of Grasmere. So he started leaving the fish he caught at the church for those who had none, he mended machinery...soon he was being called the Angel of Grasmere. He was raising the spirits of the village with his kindness, but nobody knew who the Angel was or where they came from.
Can he overcome his fears and reveal himself when worse happens?
Loved this, want to keep it but possibly I should take it to school.... Well done Tom, again a perfect story.
Thanks to Poppy at Barrington Stoke for the early copy.
TA, ESCP.
May 5, 2024
Another fantastic read from Tom Palmer. His books are so powerful at giving children an understanding and idea of some really sensitive topics, in this case it’s PTSD. Very enjoyable read with a lovely ending.
June 6, 2024
Tom Palmer has done it again….. I was almost crying in the bus. I love learning from his books.
January 3, 2025
In rural Cumbria, we follow Tarn, her friends and the remaining members of their community not packed off to fight abroad in World War 2. The threat of invasion is looming large and life is tough on the home front. The kind acts of a mysterious ‘angel’ in Grasmere, help rekindle hope in the darkest of times.
Tom Palmer writes great, accessible historical fiction for children. In such a compact novel, he captures the period so well and the rural life of the Lakes. He does both through his characters (the child relied upon to keep the farm when his dad’s injured; the evacuee; the bereaved younger sibling). The sense of place is also achieved through the atmospheric description of the surroundings.
Tom Palmer writes great, accessible historical fiction for children. In such a compact novel, he captures the period so well and the rural life of the Lakes. He does both through his characters (the child relied upon to keep the farm when his dad’s injured; the evacuee; the bereaved younger sibling). The sense of place is also achieved through the atmospheric description of the surroundings.
July 27, 2025
Set in the 1940’s, just after Dunkirk, this story is told by two characters. Tarn a young girl in Grasmere trying to come to terms with the loss of her brother at Dunkirk, and a soldier suffering from PTSD, up in the fells. Cleverly told, making the trauma accessible to middle grade. Short chapters, each spilt to be told from pov of the two main characters.
June 4, 2024
Received as a free giveaway from Toppsta.
Tom Palmer is such a brilliant author. He has a real knack for telling interesting stories in an appealing way. His characters have flaws that readers can relate to and readers see them trying to be more empathetic towards others. His books are also the 'Goldilocks' length - looking neither too long nor too short, both of which can put off readers. The large font size and dyslexic-friendly format also means the book is very readable.
I particularly enjoyed the rural setting of this book and the way that farming featured. As a Librarian at a rural school I am always looking for more books which are about farming.
Reading the book really gave me the impression that the author knows the landscape of the Lake District well. I can imagine visiting Grasmere and being able to recognise the buildings and landscape features described.
The story itself was really interesting and shone a light on an aspect of war that can be overlooked. Tarn and her friend Peter plan to get into the Grammar School and then go off on adventures. But the loss of Tarn's brother and other events throw those plans off course. As the threat of Nazi attack and invasion increases the excitement of spotting enemy planes changes as they gain an understanding of that it will lead to. Evacuee Eric also helps readers understand the reality of life for those living in cities at the time. During these trying times someone is carrying out acts of kindness in the local area. The mystery of this person's identity was well written I thought, with enough red herrings that I wasn't certain the story would play out as I predicted.
Tom Palmer is such a brilliant author. He has a real knack for telling interesting stories in an appealing way. His characters have flaws that readers can relate to and readers see them trying to be more empathetic towards others. His books are also the 'Goldilocks' length - looking neither too long nor too short, both of which can put off readers. The large font size and dyslexic-friendly format also means the book is very readable.
I particularly enjoyed the rural setting of this book and the way that farming featured. As a Librarian at a rural school I am always looking for more books which are about farming.
Reading the book really gave me the impression that the author knows the landscape of the Lake District well. I can imagine visiting Grasmere and being able to recognise the buildings and landscape features described.
The story itself was really interesting and shone a light on an aspect of war that can be overlooked. Tarn and her friend Peter plan to get into the Grammar School and then go off on adventures. But the loss of Tarn's brother and other events throw those plans off course. As the threat of Nazi attack and invasion increases the excitement of spotting enemy planes changes as they gain an understanding of that it will lead to. Evacuee Eric also helps readers understand the reality of life for those living in cities at the time. During these trying times someone is carrying out acts of kindness in the local area. The mystery of this person's identity was well written I thought, with enough red herrings that I wasn't certain the story would play out as I predicted.
April 27, 2025
I know Tom from working with him on some great events for the original Bradford Book Festival 2003-6. We did some great events together. I met up with him again, briefly, last week and he gave me a copy of his latest book "for old times sake". Well, I'm old. Must be well over 50 years since I read a 'children's' book, but it was a gift and I was curious as to what Tom had been writing. It's easy to read and I was quickly engaged. Great characters and an intriguing story. I must admit I didn't know much about the use of the Lake District during the World War II and this brought home to me how everyone was impacted. More, Tom covers the effect of war experiences on those escaping from Dunkirk in a very accessible way. What took me by surprise was how emotional I became as it reached its climax. You don't have to write complex work to have an impact. This is simple, accessible and beautifully done and yet covers complex ideas. I learnt something and wish I'd had these books to read when I was a child. Thanks Tom.
May 1, 2024
Tom Palmer has such a knack for finding the ordinary in the extraordinary, and vice versa. He makes unbelievably dramatic events relatable through characters we can root for. I loved the twist as the identity of the 'man' in the fells was revealed, and the fact that it tackles head on the pressure young soldiers found themselves under. The man's PTSD is never laboured, but shown in subtle symptoms with Tom's customary light touch. But it is the everyday heroes who shine here: Tarn, unsettled by the arrival of city evacuee Eric, and worried about how the new dynamic may change her friendship with Peter. The young people's warm friendship, expressed in countless ordinary ways, stands out sharply against the backdrop of fear: fear of bad news, fear of invasion, fear of failure and fear of judgment. An excellent, excellent book!
November 13, 2024
Another triumph from Tom Palmer and part of his Cumbrian trilogy. A tender story, described on the cover as 'World War 2, Dunkirk, Desertion'. After the first few chapters you can tell how it's going to end but it's still full of twists and turns and adventures. Probably most suitable for Year 6 children as there is a little detail about dead bodies and lambs being born. Printed in dyslexia friendly font and text setting.
September 26, 2024
Always a pleasure to read Tom Palmer’s historical fiction and I love those with a Lake District setting. The description of the climb up Eagle Crag, overlooking Coniston at the top, makes me long for those places.
Our children look forward to every one of these books and will love this one. A great combination of friendship, adventure, farm life and wartime action and memories.
Our children look forward to every one of these books and will love this one. A great combination of friendship, adventure, farm life and wartime action and memories.
December 12, 2024
This was easy to read, a story of overcoming fears and staying true to yourself. Tarn tries to live her life after the death of her brother and during the war. Her two friends Peter and Eric help her, but the war affects a lot of their plans. A heartwarming story for children aged 8 upwards, especially those interested in the war.
April 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this. A gorgeous story about kindness, fear, community and the horrors of war. The characters were so lovely and such good friends. Even in the face of war you can have kindness. Tom writes historical fiction with such care and passion.
May 25, 2024
Excellent as expected from Tom. He is an excellent writer for war themed books, and this is no exception. Combines Dunkirk, a 'deserter' and has a twist to it.
Bonus as its from Barrington stoke, so dyslexia friendly and super readable for all
Bonus as its from Barrington stoke, so dyslexia friendly and super readable for all
February 4, 2025
I enjoyed this book with my son, it’s the perfect book to share with older kids and teens. It creates some good discussions around male mental health and PTSD. Great setting too in the beautiful Lake District!
August 9, 2025
Another book read for work but I really enjoyed it. The first Tom Palmer book I have read I would definitely recommend it to the age group it is aimed at. An insight into the events at Dunkirk during the Second World War with a wonderful, heart warming story.
September 4, 2024
Enjoyed reading G’s school text
February 16, 2025
3.5. A very good story making some of the darker parts of WW2 accessible to children. Interesting setting and premise and enjoyable read
April 21, 2025
This was a cute book about a girl and her brother during the war. I did enjoy this book it was just very slow paced. It was a sweet, wholesome story about times being tough and then hopes being brought back when an “angel” coming to help/save the town.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews