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When The War Came Home
The First World War has ended, but it hasn't gone away.
When Natty has to move to a new village, she meets two young soldiers who are still battling the effects of war. Huw can't forget the terrible things he's seen, but Johnny doesn't even remember who he is.
As Natty tries to keep a secret and unravel a mystery, she finds her own way to fight for what she believes in – and learns that some things should never be forgotten …
This mesmerizing historical mystery includes an interactive clue so readers can unravel the mystery alongside the characters.
When Natty has to move to a new village, she meets two young soldiers who are still battling the effects of war. Huw can't forget the terrible things he's seen, but Johnny doesn't even remember who he is.
As Natty tries to keep a secret and unravel a mystery, she finds her own way to fight for what she believes in – and learns that some things should never be forgotten …
This mesmerizing historical mystery includes an interactive clue so readers can unravel the mystery alongside the characters.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 6, 2022
17 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Lesley Parr
7 books56 followersLesley Parr grew up in South Wales and now lives in England with her husband and their rescue cat, Angharad. She shares her time between writing stories, teaching at a primary school and tutoring adults. Apart from books, rugby union is her favourite thing in the world, especially if Wales is winning. Lesley graduated with distinction from Bath Spa University's MA in Writing for Young People. The Valley of Lost Secrets is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
July 10, 2023
✰ 4.25 stars ✰
“Things are changing and, until now, I never knew that could be a good thing.”
The next time you complain about the lunch served at the cafeteria, think that there was a time and place where children had to fight for hot lunches to be served to them during school. The next time you question what was inside the mystery meat you had for lunch, remember there were young soldiers during WWI who were so cold and starving, that it wasn't the feeling of hunger that was eating away at their hearts, but the sound of 'the tap-tap-tapping of hammers on wood' that was the echo of the preparation for the 'coffins for those of us who’d need them.’
In her sophomore Middle Grade book, When The War Came Home, Lesley Parr once again touches my heart with a story that is both light-hearted and still poignantly beautiful.
After Natalie's mother, the Champion of the Underdog, stirs up trouble at her job at their hometown, she and her mother go to live with her cousins in Ynysfach. Frustrated and upset about leaving her stable life behind, Natty isn't in the mood of being agreeable. But, as she settles into her new life and meeting her cousins, she slowly discovers that when the time is right, it doesn't hurt to reach out to help others and lend a helping hand, especially when the time calls for it.
For what could have been a more emotionally charged topic, Lesley Parr brought such a refreshing sincere look to how Natty's class demanded changes to their lunch system, that you couldn't help but cheer alongside them. Led by her spirited cousin, Nerys, FULL TUMS = CORRECT SUMS is the slogan adopted by her classmates as they begin their strike. I loved the determination and loyalty shown by the students championed - even though, it is a serious matter, there was such a lightness to their methods, that made it such an enjoyable read. 😊
The humorous dialogue between Natty and her peers as they engaged in different ways to make the school listen to their demands was so fresh with feeling and honesty. And what I appreciated so much more was that with this story, there was such a beautiful balance to the other two developing relationships that were a part of Natty's new life - two broken beautiful souls that brought the war home with them and could not find a way to move on from it.
“I can’t imagine what the war was like.’ As soon as I’ve said it I wish I hadn’t, I wish I could take the words and stuff them back in my stupid mouth. They sound so empty and pointless and small.
But Huw smiles. ‘No. No, you can’t imagine,’ he says. ‘But at least you realise that.”
Oh Huw, my dear precious Huw - a boy who signed up for war too young and much before his time and returned too much older than his time. It was so painful to see the little glimpses that showed us how affected he was by the war. I loved the little simple ways in which Natty tried to get closer to her seventeen-year-old cousin, Huw. There was such an aching softness to his behavior, that made the small moments they shared have such a glow to them, as he opened up to her about his times as a soldier, as she learned about the things that helped him feel better of the memories of friends lost during the war. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
Natty was so hurt by his pain that she was so eager and determined to make him feel better, to make him fell less of the ache that was from his haunting memories. For memories are something we cannot escape no matter how hard we try; but, for Johnny, another young soldier that Natty befriends, it's all he could ever hope again. 😟😟
“But the war ended ages ago!’
‘It did,’ Charles says. ‘But we all bring it home. And now it’s locked away tight in a little corner of Johnny’s mind.’ He taps the side of his wheelchair. ‘What happened on those battlefields never really leaves us.”
If my heart broke for Huw, then my heart hurt for Johnny. Johnny, that young soldier that Natty befriends at the side of the river, a soldier that suffers from 'memory loss with no obvious damage to the brain.'. 💔💔 A solider that Natty is so desperate to try and find a way to have his memory returned, who can't bear the thought that he could live a life without knowing who he is. As young as she was, she tries so very hard to help him from the way she learns how Huw copes with his own grief. And somehow, along the way, one boy's pain becomes the other's, as well, and in that heart-wrenching moment, my heart seized with what was about to happen. 🥺🥺
“‘Strange Hells’ by Ivor Gurney. It begins: There are strange Hells within the minds War made
and I think of Huw and Johnny, and if there’s hell inside their minds.
It’s quite hard to concentrate after that.”
Because that moment, when Huw and Johnny's stories overlapped - my heart was just -- You know that feeling when you're about to uncover something - and there's this tingle in your gut, so unexplainable a feeling that you're about to stumble upon some truth when solving a puzzle or figuring out a clue in a crime scene and you can't believe how it all ties together. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 The author laid the groundwork so naturally - with such subtlety and tenderness, that when the pieces fell together, I felt so anxious - my heartbeat was actually palpitating! That would this be the moment of truth - would the truth come out - would it all work out? Would these young boys who had to become much before their chance to heal from what they have endured? 😢😢
“She’s so small, only her eyes show over the top. Uncle Dewi stands behind her, wiping grease off his hands with a cloth.
She goes to rush past Huw, her whole body stiff again, but he reaches out and touches her arm. He tilts his head to show he wants her to come close to him and whispers, ‘Sorry.’
It’s like she melts. Her shoulders go down and her face softens. She kisses his cheek and practically skips out of the kitchen.”
I have to give an honorable mention to Nerys, Huw's younger sister and Natty's cousin. She was a fierce ball of energy, determined to help, always willing to please and aiming to speak her mind. Even if it landed her in hot water, she never backed down from a fight or hesitated to show just how much she cares. And she cared so very much for her older brother - the one that she loves, the one that she remembers before the war changed him. 💞💞 And to see her also try her hardest to be there for him, even if it was often times abrasive, made their sibling bong all the more precious to read. 🥹
I do have to admit, it did take me a little bit longer to get accustomed to the Welsh dialect/slang this time around. But, I remembered a trick my older sister did when she had to do an oral presentation for The Cay back in middle school - how to make it more impactful, she changed her accent to make it sound more like the characters. So, by changing up my tone of voice while reading, it helped me somewhat appreciate the humor and interactions a lot more than I probably would've. And this book was definitely worth every emotion and every feeling that I felt while reading it. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
“Things are changing and, until now, I never knew that could be a good thing.”
The next time you complain about the lunch served at the cafeteria, think that there was a time and place where children had to fight for hot lunches to be served to them during school. The next time you question what was inside the mystery meat you had for lunch, remember there were young soldiers during WWI who were so cold and starving, that it wasn't the feeling of hunger that was eating away at their hearts, but the sound of 'the tap-tap-tapping of hammers on wood' that was the echo of the preparation for the 'coffins for those of us who’d need them.’
In her sophomore Middle Grade book, When The War Came Home, Lesley Parr once again touches my heart with a story that is both light-hearted and still poignantly beautiful.
After Natalie's mother, the Champion of the Underdog, stirs up trouble at her job at their hometown, she and her mother go to live with her cousins in Ynysfach. Frustrated and upset about leaving her stable life behind, Natty isn't in the mood of being agreeable. But, as she settles into her new life and meeting her cousins, she slowly discovers that when the time is right, it doesn't hurt to reach out to help others and lend a helping hand, especially when the time calls for it.
For what could have been a more emotionally charged topic, Lesley Parr brought such a refreshing sincere look to how Natty's class demanded changes to their lunch system, that you couldn't help but cheer alongside them. Led by her spirited cousin, Nerys, FULL TUMS = CORRECT SUMS is the slogan adopted by her classmates as they begin their strike. I loved the determination and loyalty shown by the students championed - even though, it is a serious matter, there was such a lightness to their methods, that made it such an enjoyable read. 😊
The humorous dialogue between Natty and her peers as they engaged in different ways to make the school listen to their demands was so fresh with feeling and honesty. And what I appreciated so much more was that with this story, there was such a beautiful balance to the other two developing relationships that were a part of Natty's new life - two broken beautiful souls that brought the war home with them and could not find a way to move on from it.
“I can’t imagine what the war was like.’ As soon as I’ve said it I wish I hadn’t, I wish I could take the words and stuff them back in my stupid mouth. They sound so empty and pointless and small.
But Huw smiles. ‘No. No, you can’t imagine,’ he says. ‘But at least you realise that.”
Oh Huw, my dear precious Huw - a boy who signed up for war too young and much before his time and returned too much older than his time. It was so painful to see the little glimpses that showed us how affected he was by the war. I loved the little simple ways in which Natty tried to get closer to her seventeen-year-old cousin, Huw. There was such an aching softness to his behavior, that made the small moments they shared have such a glow to them, as he opened up to her about his times as a soldier, as she learned about the things that helped him feel better of the memories of friends lost during the war. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
Natty was so hurt by his pain that she was so eager and determined to make him feel better, to make him fell less of the ache that was from his haunting memories. For memories are something we cannot escape no matter how hard we try; but, for Johnny, another young soldier that Natty befriends, it's all he could ever hope again. 😟😟
“But the war ended ages ago!’
‘It did,’ Charles says. ‘But we all bring it home. And now it’s locked away tight in a little corner of Johnny’s mind.’ He taps the side of his wheelchair. ‘What happened on those battlefields never really leaves us.”
If my heart broke for Huw, then my heart hurt for Johnny. Johnny, that young soldier that Natty befriends at the side of the river, a soldier that suffers from 'memory loss with no obvious damage to the brain.'. 💔💔 A solider that Natty is so desperate to try and find a way to have his memory returned, who can't bear the thought that he could live a life without knowing who he is. As young as she was, she tries so very hard to help him from the way she learns how Huw copes with his own grief. And somehow, along the way, one boy's pain becomes the other's, as well, and in that heart-wrenching moment, my heart seized with what was about to happen. 🥺🥺
“‘Strange Hells’ by Ivor Gurney. It begins: There are strange Hells within the minds War made
and I think of Huw and Johnny, and if there’s hell inside their minds.
It’s quite hard to concentrate after that.”
Because that moment, when Huw and Johnny's stories overlapped - my heart was just -- You know that feeling when you're about to uncover something - and there's this tingle in your gut, so unexplainable a feeling that you're about to stumble upon some truth when solving a puzzle or figuring out a clue in a crime scene and you can't believe how it all ties together. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 The author laid the groundwork so naturally - with such subtlety and tenderness, that when the pieces fell together, I felt so anxious - my heartbeat was actually palpitating! That would this be the moment of truth - would the truth come out - would it all work out? Would these young boys who had to become much before their chance to heal from what they have endured? 😢😢
“She’s so small, only her eyes show over the top. Uncle Dewi stands behind her, wiping grease off his hands with a cloth.
She goes to rush past Huw, her whole body stiff again, but he reaches out and touches her arm. He tilts his head to show he wants her to come close to him and whispers, ‘Sorry.’
It’s like she melts. Her shoulders go down and her face softens. She kisses his cheek and practically skips out of the kitchen.”
I have to give an honorable mention to Nerys, Huw's younger sister and Natty's cousin. She was a fierce ball of energy, determined to help, always willing to please and aiming to speak her mind. Even if it landed her in hot water, she never backed down from a fight or hesitated to show just how much she cares. And she cared so very much for her older brother - the one that she loves, the one that she remembers before the war changed him. 💞💞 And to see her also try her hardest to be there for him, even if it was often times abrasive, made their sibling bong all the more precious to read. 🥹
I do have to admit, it did take me a little bit longer to get accustomed to the Welsh dialect/slang this time around. But, I remembered a trick my older sister did when she had to do an oral presentation for The Cay back in middle school - how to make it more impactful, she changed her accent to make it sound more like the characters. So, by changing up my tone of voice while reading, it helped me somewhat appreciate the humor and interactions a lot more than I probably would've. And this book was definitely worth every emotion and every feeling that I felt while reading it. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
July 1, 2025
Една въздействаща, сърцата и силно емоционална история за порастването и изборът на “битки”, за лекуването на зловещото ехо от войната, което остава дълго след нейният край, за последиците в сърцата на хората, за приятелството, семейството, любовта и още толкова много.
Увлекателен роман насочен към младежката аудитория, който ще трогне до сълзи и по-зрялата такава. Историческият период комбиниран с възрастта на персонажите допринасят за допълнително чувство на съпричастност и топлина у читателя.
Действието се развива в Уелс след Първата световна война и кошмарите, преследващи хората. Страх и надежда, сломеност и борбеност, кое ще надделее?
Дванайсет годишната Натали и нейната майка са принудени да отседна при роднини в провинцията в търсене на ново начало, път в сложните отношения майка-дъщеря и адаптиране към суровата реалност.
Нати е умно момиче с характер. Търсейки своето място, тя ще открие нови приятелства и каузи, които ще я изведат на пътят към израстването. Опитвайки да се разбере с майка си, да изтърпи братовчедка си, да помогне на двама младежи участвали във войната да открият силата в себе си, тя ще намери и много нови неща за самата нея.
Независимо, че интригата е предвидима за по-опитният читател, дълбочината ѝ е голяма. Чувствата наситени, сериозните теми достъпно представени, но в никакъв случай омаловажени.
Поднесена с неподражаем стил историята се разплита постепенно, впримчвайки читателя силно. Ангажира с интересните исторически моменти, а социалните и културни борби обогатяват допълнително сюжета.
Книгата е един прекрасен урок по емпатия, човечност, семейни ценности и силна воля. Посланията деликатно поднесени. Вяра, кураж и дела направени от сърце могат да променят всичко.
Препоръчвам на всички.
April 28, 2025
„Когато войната се прибра у дома“ е трогателен роман, който с голяма деликатност изследва последиците от Първата световна война върху младите ветерани и техните семейства.
https://knigojiva.blogspot.com/2025/0...
Действеието се развива в началото на 20-те години на 20-и век в следвоенен Уелс, а в центъра на историята са Нати, разсъдливо и силно 12-годишно момиче, и нейната борбена и принципна майка, която е принудена да търси ново начало в свят, променен от войната.
„Странни пъкли има в умовете, които Войната сътвори“ – този стих от поемата, която децата изучават в училище, обобщава болката и посттравматичния стрес, оставили трайни белези у обществото. Преждевременно порасналите младежи, каквито са Хю и Джони, и неспособността им да се върнат към нормалния тепърва предстоящ им живот свидетелстват, че разрушенията на войната не свършват на бойното поле. Именно тук идва и двусмисленият въпрос: „Докъде ще стигне светът, ако слушаме децата?“ Макар изричащият го да предполага негативен отговор, текстът фино кара читателя да се замисли дали децата не биха били най-добрите съветници на тези объркани и ампутирани от сензитивност възрастни.
Болката и надеждата, страхът и куражът се пресичат, за да подсилят посланията на творбата. Благодарение на съпричастността и волята за възстановяване, героите намират сили да се изправят и да продължат напред.
Друга тема, заемаща централно място в романа, е тази за различията между родител и дете. Отношенията на Натали и майка ѝ са представени с голяма дълбочина. Макар между тях да има напрежение, в основата му стои желанието за защита и грижа. През трудностите и недоразуменията двете постепенно изграждат по-силна връзка, изпълнена с обич и разбиране.
Лесли Пар умело вплита теми като приятелството, личната борба с идентичността, прошката, вярата в доброто, създавайки една топла, вдъхновяваща и преди всичко универсална история за порастването, преодоляването на страха и намирането на уют.
https://knigojiva.blogspot.com/2025/0...
Действеието се развива в началото на 20-те години на 20-и век в следвоенен Уелс, а в центъра на историята са Нати, разсъдливо и силно 12-годишно момиче, и нейната борбена и принципна майка, която е принудена да търси ново начало в свят, променен от войната.
„Странни пъкли има в умовете, които Войната сътвори“ – този стих от поемата, която децата изучават в училище, обобщава болката и посттравматичния стрес, оставили трайни белези у обществото. Преждевременно порасналите младежи, каквито са Хю и Джони, и неспособността им да се върнат към нормалния тепърва предстоящ им живот свидетелстват, че разрушенията на войната не свършват на бойното поле. Именно тук идва и двусмисленият въпрос: „Докъде ще стигне светът, ако слушаме децата?“ Макар изричащият го да предполага негативен отговор, текстът фино кара читателя да се замисли дали децата не биха били най-добрите съветници на тези объркани и ампутирани от сензитивност възрастни.
Болката и надеждата, страхът и куражът се пресичат, за да подсилят посланията на творбата. Благодарение на съпричастността и волята за възстановяване, героите намират сили да се изправят и да продължат напред.
Друга тема, заемаща централно място в романа, е тази за различията между родител и дете. Отношенията на Натали и майка ѝ са представени с голяма дълбочина. Макар между тях да има напрежение, в основата му стои желанието за защита и грижа. През трудностите и недоразуменията двете постепенно изграждат по-силна връзка, изпълнена с обич и разбиране.
Лесли Пар умело вплита теми като приятелството, личната борба с идентичността, прошката, вярата в доброто, създавайки една топла, вдъхновяваща и преди всичко универсална история за порастването, преодоляването на страха и намирането на уют.
April 18, 2023
A beautiful sweet & tender story of young boys returning home from WW1 who left at 14 and return age 17.
This historical fiction is written so carefully as it’s designed to be read for young readers (we all know that applies to all ages).
Interwoven is also the humanity of friends and family who unite to find peace for each other as the community rebuilds, not just physically but emotionally and socially.
This is a stark reminder of how dire life was for everyone after the war and why measures were put into place so people are cared for and this was the founding cornerstone of what we have today as a basic form of human rights.
When the War Come Home is a wonderful story for everyone of what & where we came from no matter our religion or culture.
This historical fiction is written so carefully as it’s designed to be read for young readers (we all know that applies to all ages).
Interwoven is also the humanity of friends and family who unite to find peace for each other as the community rebuilds, not just physically but emotionally and socially.
This is a stark reminder of how dire life was for everyone after the war and why measures were put into place so people are cared for and this was the founding cornerstone of what we have today as a basic form of human rights.
When the War Come Home is a wonderful story for everyone of what & where we came from no matter our religion or culture.
February 12, 2022
A heart-warming, tear-jerking, sensitive story about PTSD during WWI. I'm in awe of how the author handled such a tough topic within a novel intended for children. I have never seen this topic covered in middle grade before. The characters are so loveable and the story is undeniably compelling. It was an absolute pleasure to read!
February 2, 2025
“- Не можеш да помогнеш на всички. Независимо какво смятат леля Фион и Нерис. Някои неща не могат да бъдат поправени.”
Когато чета детски книги искам да избягам от проблемите на възрастните. С този роман не подходих с такива очаквания. Знаейки, че ще засяга периода след ПСВ се подготвих за друга реалност.
Изненада ме. Изненада ме, колко сила се крие в детски дух. Колко упорити и устойчиви са детските копнежи и желания. Замислих се, че колкото повече растем, толкова повече се огъваме на външни фактори - чуждо мнение, горчив опит, предразсъдъци. Милата Нати, беше прекрасна. Каузата и развитието на нещата за всички ме накараха да се усмихна и да вярвам.
“Ти ми помогна да преоткрия не само спомените. А и чувството да имам нещо, което да очаквам. Така че животът е по-хубав, независимо какво си спомням.”
Когато чета детски книги искам да избягам от проблемите на възрастните. С този роман не подходих с такива очаквания. Знаейки, че ще засяга периода след ПСВ се подготвих за друга реалност.
Изненада ме. Изненада ме, колко сила се крие в детски дух. Колко упорити и устойчиви са детските копнежи и желания. Замислих се, че колкото повече растем, толкова повече се огъваме на външни фактори - чуждо мнение, горчив опит, предразсъдъци. Милата Нати, беше прекрасна. Каузата и развитието на нещата за всички ме накараха да се усмихна и да вярвам.
“Ти ми помогна да преоткрия не само спомените. А и чувството да имам нещо, което да очаквам. Така че животът е по-хубав, независимо какво си спомням.”
February 1, 2025
Страхотна история за последиците от войната и силата на детския дух!
February 23, 2022
When The War Came Home by Lesley Parr is a charming historical YA novel set after World War I. It is a story that will delight and entertain you whatever your age.
The novel is written in the first person from the point of view of twelve year old Natty. The reader gets inside her head as her thoughts become our thoughts.
World War I blighted families. Many lost loved ones. Many were injured but not all scars could be seen. “The war took him away… And it gave him back, only not every part of him.” Many returned with what we would now diagnose as PTSD. Young men in their prime who were suffering from shell shock were not always understood by those around them. There are some very upsetting scenes to read as a character returns to the battlefield in his mind. “The war ended ages ago… But we bring it all home… What happened on those battlefields never really leaves us.”
Close friendships were formed in war. Those friendships kept each other going but “no words are big enough. Because what do you say when someone tells you their best friend is gone?” Loss cuts deeply. Not everyone who went to war came home – some left physical bodies behind, others remained on the battlefield in their minds.
The years following World War I were those of change in Britain. We hear about the suffragettes and also lawful strikes as ways to bring about change.
There was much poverty too. It is hard to see children suffer through lack of food. Likewise the cruelty of the school master is hard to stomach.
It is beautiful to watch new friendships form and lives changed through kindness.
When The War Came Home was a compulsive read that I thoroughly enjoyed and read it through in just one sitting.
The novel is written in the first person from the point of view of twelve year old Natty. The reader gets inside her head as her thoughts become our thoughts.
World War I blighted families. Many lost loved ones. Many were injured but not all scars could be seen. “The war took him away… And it gave him back, only not every part of him.” Many returned with what we would now diagnose as PTSD. Young men in their prime who were suffering from shell shock were not always understood by those around them. There are some very upsetting scenes to read as a character returns to the battlefield in his mind. “The war ended ages ago… But we bring it all home… What happened on those battlefields never really leaves us.”
Close friendships were formed in war. Those friendships kept each other going but “no words are big enough. Because what do you say when someone tells you their best friend is gone?” Loss cuts deeply. Not everyone who went to war came home – some left physical bodies behind, others remained on the battlefield in their minds.
The years following World War I were those of change in Britain. We hear about the suffragettes and also lawful strikes as ways to bring about change.
There was much poverty too. It is hard to see children suffer through lack of food. Likewise the cruelty of the school master is hard to stomach.
It is beautiful to watch new friendships form and lives changed through kindness.
When The War Came Home was a compulsive read that I thoroughly enjoyed and read it through in just one sitting.
August 8, 2025
A beautiful story! I did not want to put this book down.
November 17, 2024
Great plot and setting, but I found the writing a bit too simple even for middle grade; it somehow managed to take any sense of tension out of what were, theoretically, quite high stakes. The protagonist read really young, as well - before I found out she was twelve, I would have taken her for around eight.
January 3, 2024
A brilliant middle grade book tackling war, starvation and ptsd. I enjoyed Natty and the other children, but be prepared for heavy topics covered throughout the book. The author does a tremendous job tackling all this and making it believable.
Rated: 5 ⭐
TW: children being caned/paddled, children going hungry, potential homelessness, sexism, child abuse, light language, amnesia, and bullying
Rated: 5 ⭐
TW: children being caned/paddled, children going hungry, potential homelessness, sexism, child abuse, light language, amnesia, and bullying
January 9, 2022
Smashed it out the park yet again
March 28, 2022
Set just after World War 1, twelve year old Natty has been made to move to a new village after her Mum lost her job. Her dad never returned from the war. Moving in with her extended family, she meets two young men, both affected by PTSD. Huw ran away to join up at fourteen and was at Passchendaele. Johnny has come home, but cannot remember anything about his life before the war
One of the things that I love about great children’s writers is that they can take frightening, difficult and complex topics and make them approachable on the page. When the War Came Home is, in-part, about PTSD, but it also weaves in other large-scale social changes happening at the time such as the union and the suffrage movements. I thoroughly enjoyed the Welsh setting and touches of Welsh language sprinkled throughout. Huge thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy
One of the things that I love about great children’s writers is that they can take frightening, difficult and complex topics and make them approachable on the page. When the War Came Home is, in-part, about PTSD, but it also weaves in other large-scale social changes happening at the time such as the union and the suffrage movements. I thoroughly enjoyed the Welsh setting and touches of Welsh language sprinkled throughout. Huge thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy
April 25, 2022
I read this book on Anzac Day after watching the film Dunkirk and so I still had the terror those young men faced in my mind.
Natty and her mum must move to live with her aunt and uncle after her feisty mum loses her job at the factory, but Natty quickly adapts. She encounters some returned soldiers, one is her cousin struggling to reenter normal family life, and another is convalescing, unable to remember anything about his previous life. I agree with other reviewers, the handling of PTSD and shell shock for younger readers is very well done. Alongside this, standing up for her classmates against the bullying head teacher, Natty slowly learns a new appreciation for her Mum.
Nice companion to the Valley of Lost Secrets. Middle grade novel, the storyline is not particularly “girly” but I think due to the protagonist and age of the target audience, more girls will pick this up. I hope that the boys who have read the previous book will give this a go, the selling job might be focused more on the post war mystery and nasty headmaster, I will purposefully leave the gender neutral on my book talk!
Natty and her mum must move to live with her aunt and uncle after her feisty mum loses her job at the factory, but Natty quickly adapts. She encounters some returned soldiers, one is her cousin struggling to reenter normal family life, and another is convalescing, unable to remember anything about his previous life. I agree with other reviewers, the handling of PTSD and shell shock for younger readers is very well done. Alongside this, standing up for her classmates against the bullying head teacher, Natty slowly learns a new appreciation for her Mum.
Nice companion to the Valley of Lost Secrets. Middle grade novel, the storyline is not particularly “girly” but I think due to the protagonist and age of the target audience, more girls will pick this up. I hope that the boys who have read the previous book will give this a go, the selling job might be focused more on the post war mystery and nasty headmaster, I will purposefully leave the gender neutral on my book talk!
October 8, 2022
I enjoyed it when it said twp and little Welsh words
November 8, 2024
As usual, the story is set in Wales, this time looking at post-WW2 community issues. Intended for middle grade readers, not wasted on this old gal!
December 24, 2023
When The War Came home is a beautiful historical fiction book aimed at middle grade readers.
The story of 12 year old Natty who befriends two young soldiers who are both dealing with post war trauma is told in a sensitive and engaging manner, and give readers new insight into the long lasting effects of war.
Lesley Parr masterfully deals with subjects such as PTSD and amnesia in a way that sheds light on these challenges without being too overwhelming for young readers. The reader also gains a better understanding of what life was like for children in the 1920's and how standing up for something you believe in can make a difference to the whole community. A beautiful book, which will tug at your heartstrings. Highly recommended!
The story of 12 year old Natty who befriends two young soldiers who are both dealing with post war trauma is told in a sensitive and engaging manner, and give readers new insight into the long lasting effects of war.
Lesley Parr masterfully deals with subjects such as PTSD and amnesia in a way that sheds light on these challenges without being too overwhelming for young readers. The reader also gains a better understanding of what life was like for children in the 1920's and how standing up for something you believe in can make a difference to the whole community. A beautiful book, which will tug at your heartstrings. Highly recommended!
January 27, 2022
After reading Lesley’s first novel The Valley of Lost Secrets this was a highly anticipated book for me and I desperately fought the urge to read the early chapters released on Netgalley – didn’t want to spoil it for myself! Honestly, both books feel like and deserve to be future classics. Highly immersive historical novels and incredibly heart-warming they also incorporate a touch of cleverly written mystery.
When the War Came Home is a story so full of hope, determination, love, family and friendship. It utterly captivated me and had me reading into the wee small hours as I couldn’t bear to tear myself away from the idyllic Welsh countryside and the wonderfully warm, beautifully drawn cast of characters and their spirit and resilience.
It’s the twenties. The First World War has ended but as we see throughout the story, it hasn’t gone away and the after-effects live on in the hearts and minds of the people. Twelve year old Natty is forced to moved to a new village after her fiesty and fearless mother Ffion ruffles feathers at the factory and looses her job.
Natty’s mother has arranged for them to stay with Aunty Mary and Uncle Dewi in Ynysfach and Natty is mortified that she’ll be sharing a room, top-and-tailing with her goody-goody, same-age cousin Nerys. But she soon strikes up a remarkable friendship with seventeen year old cousin Huw who has recently returned from the front line in Belgium.
Huw can’t forget the terrible things he’s seen and in heart-breaking scenes, we see him suffer terrible shell shock but Lesley Parr skilfully and delicately explores the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in an a sensitive way for her Middle Grade audience. Natty instantly connects with Huw and he begins to confide in her. With gentle encouragement and patience, she learns that he’s grieving for his comrade and best mate, Rhys who died in the trenches.
Natty meets soldiers Johnny and Charles at the bowling pavilion where they are brought for daily recreation time from Talbot House; a convalescene home for injured servicemen. Young soldier Johnny is suffering from amnesia, brough on by the effects of the war and he can’t remember any details of his life before. His identity bracelet is damaged so The Ministry of Defence have been unable to trace his loved ones.
Natty is such an incredible character. Feeling like a lost soul herself, she instantly recognises the look behind Johnny’s eyes and from the moment she hears his story, she is determined to help him remember. Fearless and direct yet sensitive and caring, she has the ability to gain Johnny’s trust and he begins to open up to her. With her help, odd flashes and fragment of memories seem to appear but will it be enough?
Lesley’s writing style is effortless and the hours just glide by whilst reading her work. She creates characters that are so relatable and warm they instantly feel like family or old friends. I absolutely adore the Welsh back-drop to both Lesley’s books and my inner voice hears soft, lilting Welsh accents when reading.
There’s so much more I’m bursting to say but I wouldn’t want to risk spoiling others’ enjoyment of this glorious book. Thank you Lesley for another amazing story that I will cherish and will stay with me for years to come. I really enjoyed solving another anagram mystery too.
P.S. I love that Huddersfield gets a shout-out in the book!
When the War Came Home is a story so full of hope, determination, love, family and friendship. It utterly captivated me and had me reading into the wee small hours as I couldn’t bear to tear myself away from the idyllic Welsh countryside and the wonderfully warm, beautifully drawn cast of characters and their spirit and resilience.
It’s the twenties. The First World War has ended but as we see throughout the story, it hasn’t gone away and the after-effects live on in the hearts and minds of the people. Twelve year old Natty is forced to moved to a new village after her fiesty and fearless mother Ffion ruffles feathers at the factory and looses her job.
Natty’s mother has arranged for them to stay with Aunty Mary and Uncle Dewi in Ynysfach and Natty is mortified that she’ll be sharing a room, top-and-tailing with her goody-goody, same-age cousin Nerys. But she soon strikes up a remarkable friendship with seventeen year old cousin Huw who has recently returned from the front line in Belgium.
Huw can’t forget the terrible things he’s seen and in heart-breaking scenes, we see him suffer terrible shell shock but Lesley Parr skilfully and delicately explores the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in an a sensitive way for her Middle Grade audience. Natty instantly connects with Huw and he begins to confide in her. With gentle encouragement and patience, she learns that he’s grieving for his comrade and best mate, Rhys who died in the trenches.
Natty meets soldiers Johnny and Charles at the bowling pavilion where they are brought for daily recreation time from Talbot House; a convalescene home for injured servicemen. Young soldier Johnny is suffering from amnesia, brough on by the effects of the war and he can’t remember any details of his life before. His identity bracelet is damaged so The Ministry of Defence have been unable to trace his loved ones.
Natty is such an incredible character. Feeling like a lost soul herself, she instantly recognises the look behind Johnny’s eyes and from the moment she hears his story, she is determined to help him remember. Fearless and direct yet sensitive and caring, she has the ability to gain Johnny’s trust and he begins to open up to her. With her help, odd flashes and fragment of memories seem to appear but will it be enough?
Lesley’s writing style is effortless and the hours just glide by whilst reading her work. She creates characters that are so relatable and warm they instantly feel like family or old friends. I absolutely adore the Welsh back-drop to both Lesley’s books and my inner voice hears soft, lilting Welsh accents when reading.
There’s so much more I’m bursting to say but I wouldn’t want to risk spoiling others’ enjoyment of this glorious book. Thank you Lesley for another amazing story that I will cherish and will stay with me for years to come. I really enjoyed solving another anagram mystery too.
P.S. I love that Huddersfield gets a shout-out in the book!
July 26, 2022
A sweet, gentle story about the effects of war and standing up for what you believe in, WHEN THE WAR CAME HOME's hopeful and resilient story is sure to resonate with readers no matter the age.
Natty and her mother reluctantly move across Wales to start afresh. When Natty meets Huw, her young cousin suffering after the First World War, and Johnny, a local boy who has lost his memories, she resolves to help them both.
What a delightfully sweet story this was, and a beautiful piece of historical fiction. WHEN THE WAR CAME HOME is a hopeful tale of resilience and never giving up. Natty has a difficult arc of repairing the relationship with her mother which I think Parr explores brilliantly.
A light-hearted yet deeply emotional read.
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Yes. I have THE VALLEY OF LOST SECRETS on my tbr!
Uncorrected proof copy received from Bloomsbury in an exchange for an honest review. This title releases on the 6th January 2022.
LAST REVIEW
Natty and her mother reluctantly move across Wales to start afresh. When Natty meets Huw, her young cousin suffering after the First World War, and Johnny, a local boy who has lost his memories, she resolves to help them both.
What a delightfully sweet story this was, and a beautiful piece of historical fiction. WHEN THE WAR CAME HOME is a hopeful tale of resilience and never giving up. Natty has a difficult arc of repairing the relationship with her mother which I think Parr explores brilliantly.
A light-hearted yet deeply emotional read.
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Yes. I have THE VALLEY OF LOST SECRETS on my tbr!
Uncorrected proof copy received from Bloomsbury in an exchange for an honest review. This title releases on the 6th January 2022.
LAST REVIEW
March 10, 2022
Natty’s mum won’t stop sticking up for people. It sounds like a great thing to do, but Natty wishes she would just stop! Sure, Mum was supporting Women’s rights and the Suffragette movement, but then they had to move because of it. Then she upset the boss at work, talking about worker’s rights, and now she’s got the sack.
Natty really likes their lovely flat in their little town, but Mum’s principles have upset their life again, and they will have to move. Why can’t Mum look after them first, instead of everyone else? There is nothing for it and they are soon on the bus to another little town in Wales, where her uncle and aunt have offered them somewhere to stay as long as they like. Natty can vaguely remember her cousins, and now they will be living on a “smallholding” with chickens and pigs!
Natty quickly learns she is to share a room and a bed with her never-stops-talking cousin Nerys. Nerys is the apple of the family eye, working towards a scholarship to extend her education. Soon they are friends as well as cousins, and Natty begins to settle into her new life. Nerys’ brother Huw is also in the house after returning from the Great War. He’s the opposite of his bouncy little sister, the First World War’s horrors imprinted on his thoughts. He’s quiet and moody and trying to put it all behind him. Natty meets other recovering soldiers in the local hospital, and one in particular becomes her own crusade. ‘Johnny’ can’t remember who he is, and Natty is determined to help.
Nerys, her best friend Owen and Natty soon have something much bigger and closer to their hearts (and stomachs) to contend with. Natty slowly begins to understand how her Mum sees the world – where she sees a wrong, she tries to put it right.
I enjoyed this historical novel for tweens immensely! A mum standing up for women’s and worker’s rights is not a character trait I’ve seen before in a tween novel, and it also helps mould the plot and the growth of the main character. The excitable and always positive Nerys keeps everyone on their toes, with her brother Huw adding a sobering thread.
Huw was just fourteen when he decided to lie about his age and sign up for a soldier’s uniform and an adventure, and the result is disastrous. Although I knew of this happening (in probably most wars) I haven’t come across a character so young who has lived through it, to show a reader the results.
The more I read, the more intrigued I became until something miraculous clicked! I had to read faster to learn if it was true.
Emma Carroll fans will love this as much as I did.
Author – Lesley Parr
Age – 10+
Natty really likes their lovely flat in their little town, but Mum’s principles have upset their life again, and they will have to move. Why can’t Mum look after them first, instead of everyone else? There is nothing for it and they are soon on the bus to another little town in Wales, where her uncle and aunt have offered them somewhere to stay as long as they like. Natty can vaguely remember her cousins, and now they will be living on a “smallholding” with chickens and pigs!
Natty quickly learns she is to share a room and a bed with her never-stops-talking cousin Nerys. Nerys is the apple of the family eye, working towards a scholarship to extend her education. Soon they are friends as well as cousins, and Natty begins to settle into her new life. Nerys’ brother Huw is also in the house after returning from the Great War. He’s the opposite of his bouncy little sister, the First World War’s horrors imprinted on his thoughts. He’s quiet and moody and trying to put it all behind him. Natty meets other recovering soldiers in the local hospital, and one in particular becomes her own crusade. ‘Johnny’ can’t remember who he is, and Natty is determined to help.
Nerys, her best friend Owen and Natty soon have something much bigger and closer to their hearts (and stomachs) to contend with. Natty slowly begins to understand how her Mum sees the world – where she sees a wrong, she tries to put it right.
I enjoyed this historical novel for tweens immensely! A mum standing up for women’s and worker’s rights is not a character trait I’ve seen before in a tween novel, and it also helps mould the plot and the growth of the main character. The excitable and always positive Nerys keeps everyone on their toes, with her brother Huw adding a sobering thread.
Huw was just fourteen when he decided to lie about his age and sign up for a soldier’s uniform and an adventure, and the result is disastrous. Although I knew of this happening (in probably most wars) I haven’t come across a character so young who has lived through it, to show a reader the results.
The more I read, the more intrigued I became until something miraculous clicked! I had to read faster to learn if it was true.
Emma Carroll fans will love this as much as I did.
Author – Lesley Parr
Age – 10+
August 19, 2023
A carefully crafted Middle Grade novel set in the 1920s. Natty moves to the Welsh countryside after her mother loses her job for her outspoken ways at the factory. They live on a smallholding farm with extended family, which includes cousin Huw, who is shellshocked from WWI and missing his best friend, believed dead.
Cousin Nerys, a bright, self-confident, socially-challenged girl Natty's age, is inspired to begin a strike for the counsel to provide a midday meal like they did at Natty's former school. (Their headmaster hits children with rulers, a problem not solved here, but they do succeed in getting food for the children, some of whom are going hungry enough to make concentration difficult.)
Natty meets other returned soldiers in recovery, one of whom has amnesia and turns out to be Rys, Huw's friend from the Welsh Guard. The book wraps up neatly (and yes, a bit predictibly because it's MG) but does not pretend that Rhys gets his memory back fully or that Huw isn't still suffering from PTSD. (Some care is also taken in the writing to establish a brotherly relationship between adult Rys and young Natty - and Rhys' fiancee appears toward the end as well.)
Finally, Natty and her mother move into the apartment above the bakery where she'll now be working for a kind woman who fed and rallied the children during the school strike. Natty anticipates security as this seems like a boss her mother won't need to fight to assert her rights with, and we hope the pattern of struggle, job loss and relocation is broken.
Natty designates a drawer in the bureau of her new room for her cousin indicating that she and Nerys's relationship is not at an end. This relationship is one of the things Lesley Parr does particularly well. There's a line early on about adults always assuming that children the same age will get along, but in fact the girls have their ups and downs of annoyance, jealousy and friendship-building that's one of the most realistic-feeling parts of the book.
cw: some references to deaths at Passchendale, not graphic descriptions, but does include a haunting passage about soldiers listening to coffins being built, physical abuse of children by adults at school, child poverty and a scene of a boy eating from the trash
TESOL comment: this author uses a few words in Welsh like cwtch (a hug or cuddle) and a couple of others that by context seem to refer to crouching or sitting. This book is still suitable for TESOL readers in my opinion.
Cousin Nerys, a bright, self-confident, socially-challenged girl Natty's age, is inspired to begin a strike for the counsel to provide a midday meal like they did at Natty's former school. (Their headmaster hits children with rulers, a problem not solved here, but they do succeed in getting food for the children, some of whom are going hungry enough to make concentration difficult.)
Natty meets other returned soldiers in recovery, one of whom has amnesia and turns out to be Rys, Huw's friend from the Welsh Guard. The book wraps up neatly (and yes, a bit predictibly because it's MG) but does not pretend that Rhys gets his memory back fully or that Huw isn't still suffering from PTSD. (Some care is also taken in the writing to establish a brotherly relationship between adult Rys and young Natty - and Rhys' fiancee appears toward the end as well.)
Finally, Natty and her mother move into the apartment above the bakery where she'll now be working for a kind woman who fed and rallied the children during the school strike. Natty anticipates security as this seems like a boss her mother won't need to fight to assert her rights with, and we hope the pattern of struggle, job loss and relocation is broken.
Natty designates a drawer in the bureau of her new room for her cousin indicating that she and Nerys's relationship is not at an end. This relationship is one of the things Lesley Parr does particularly well. There's a line early on about adults always assuming that children the same age will get along, but in fact the girls have their ups and downs of annoyance, jealousy and friendship-building that's one of the most realistic-feeling parts of the book.
cw: some references to deaths at Passchendale, not graphic descriptions, but does include a haunting passage about soldiers listening to coffins being built, physical abuse of children by adults at school, child poverty and a scene of a boy eating from the trash
TESOL comment: this author uses a few words in Welsh like cwtch (a hug or cuddle) and a couple of others that by context seem to refer to crouching or sitting. This book is still suitable for TESOL readers in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2021
I've been chomping at the bit to read When The War Came Home basically since I finished Lesley Parr's 2021 debut, The Valley of Lost Secrets - so I was ecstatic to be allowed be gifted an early copy! And I was NOT disappointed. As with Valley, When The War Came Home proves Parr has an uncanny ability to reach straight out of the page and into your heart! Once again, the characters in this beautifully written historical novel had me sobbing (by page 3 this time, in the doctor's office, oops!) and getting angry along with them, but they also made me smile and laugh, and left me feeling uplifted - but still a bit outraged.
When the War Came Home might be set after World War 1 - and highlight the PTSD and grief experienced by so many soldiers - but it also features a battle against something many young readers today will have more direct experience: poverty, hunger & social inequity. Parr masterfully weaves these two very different - and quite harrowing - types of struggles together in a way that's accessible to younger readers without trivializing either issue.
Her main character, Natty, is smart and relatable (even as she complains about how her mother's "compulsion" to fight for other people's rights affects their own lives), and her journey towards picking up other people's fights herself is perfectly pitched, and might help young readers to think twice about what they can do! But it's the compelling cast of side-characters - like super-smart, social-activist/chatterbox Nerys & ex-soldier Huw (who made me laugh AND broke my heart so many times I think I'm still recovering) - who really make the story shine. I'm desperate to know what happened next to all of them!
When the War Came Home is another instant classic, and an absolute MG triumph, that I'm sure will be read in classrooms - and reread in bedrooms/living rooms/bathrooms - for years to come. I loved it!
When the War Came Home might be set after World War 1 - and highlight the PTSD and grief experienced by so many soldiers - but it also features a battle against something many young readers today will have more direct experience: poverty, hunger & social inequity. Parr masterfully weaves these two very different - and quite harrowing - types of struggles together in a way that's accessible to younger readers without trivializing either issue.
Her main character, Natty, is smart and relatable (even as she complains about how her mother's "compulsion" to fight for other people's rights affects their own lives), and her journey towards picking up other people's fights herself is perfectly pitched, and might help young readers to think twice about what they can do! But it's the compelling cast of side-characters - like super-smart, social-activist/chatterbox Nerys & ex-soldier Huw (who made me laugh AND broke my heart so many times I think I'm still recovering) - who really make the story shine. I'm desperate to know what happened next to all of them!
When the War Came Home is another instant classic, and an absolute MG triumph, that I'm sure will be read in classrooms - and reread in bedrooms/living rooms/bathrooms - for years to come. I loved it!
February 17, 2025
Eдна необикновена книга за млади читатели, която е изключително увлекателно написана – едновременно сърдечна и емоционално въздействаща, с автентичен поглед към социалните проблеми на епохата между двете световни войни.
Авторката ме спечели още с първата си книга – Долината на изгубените тайни, и тук отново не изневерява на стила си, като балансира между сериозни теми като травмите от войната и моментите на детска наивност и бунт.
Героите са симпатични, запомнящи се и вдъхновяващи, всеки със своята индивидуалност. Силната и непримирима Нати търси своето място и се учи да бъде част от нещо по-голямо – борбата за справедливост или лекуването на раните на близките си. Хю е принуден да порасне твърде бързо, ставайки войник, и се завръща от фронта различен, затворен в болката си. Джони носи войната в ума и сърцето си, живее в свят без минало и копнее да намери своята идентичност. Взаимоотношенията му с Нати и по-късно с Хю са истински въздействащи и трогателни. Нерис е избухлива, пълна с енергия и любов, готова на всичко, за да защити семейството и приятелите си.
Това е детска книга, която трябва да бъде прочетена и от възрастните. Книга за битките след войната – тези, които се водят в умовете и сърцата на обикновените хора. Тя се чете със сърцето, защото не просто разказва история, а те кара да я почувстваш – да съпреживееш загубата, страха, надеждата и радостта от малките победи.
Авторката ме спечели още с първата си книга – Долината на изгубените тайни, и тук отново не изневерява на стила си, като балансира между сериозни теми като травмите от войната и моментите на детска наивност и бунт.
Героите са симпатични, запомнящи се и вдъхновяващи, всеки със своята индивидуалност. Силната и непримирима Нати търси своето място и се учи да бъде част от нещо по-голямо – борбата за справедливост или лекуването на раните на близките си. Хю е принуден да порасне твърде бързо, ставайки войник, и се завръща от фронта различен, затворен в болката си. Джони носи войната в ума и сърцето си, живее в свят без минало и копнее да намери своята идентичност. Взаимоотношенията му с Нати и по-късно с Хю са истински въздействащи и трогателни. Нерис е избухлива, пълна с енергия и любов, готова на всичко, за да защити семейството и приятелите си.
Това е детска книга, която трябва да бъде прочетена и от възрастните. Книга за битките след войната – тези, които се водят в умовете и сърцата на обикновените хора. Тя се чете със сърцето, защото не просто разказва история, а те кара да я почувстваш – да съпреживееш загубата, страха, надеждата и радостта от малките победи.
February 22, 2022
I am proudly Welsh, despite having moved out of Wales a long while ago, and reading this book basically just felt like going home. I love all the 'Welshism's' in the language that's used, every time someone said 'mun' I giggled to myself because my mum says it every few minutes! The book captures the essence of the valleys and their inhabitants so perfectly.
Natty was a wonderful lead character, she was kind and intelligent but definitely had her flaws. I did feel sorry for her poor Mam at times, who was clearly trying her best whilst dealing with her own grief. The relationship that Natty struck up with Johnny was just so pure and wholesome to read. The way they both helped each other, without even really realising, just adorable. I also loved how Johnny was able to be so calm and collected, despite having lost pretty much everything.
There are so many other delightful characters gracing these pages, that it's hard to single them all out. Wonderful Nerys, with her huge heart and boundless enthusiasm. I was quietly cheering her with all her grand plans and ambitions. Poor Huw, recovering from the traumas of war but still holding his head up as high as he can. Nerys' best friend Owen, who struggles with school because he's constantly hungry. I could spend endless pages with all of them, and wanted to know more and more.
I don't read so much about this time period in history, so have a little less knowledge of what it might have been like to live in the UK during this time. Having said that, it felt like Lesley Parr managed to perfectly paint a picture of life in the valleys. Each household and family touched in some way by loss. The beginning of demands for equality for women. The struggle that was all too familiar to find food for the family. Everything leads towards the young reader starting to think about how life was different back then, and hopefully will inspire them to find out a little more.
I really hope that Lesley goes on to write 100's more books, because the first two are just perfect. I love that they are dealing with some heavy topics, yet still feel like a cwtch in a book. I think it's pretty obvious that I would heartily recommend these books to everyone, they have pride of place on my middle grade bookshelf.
Natty was a wonderful lead character, she was kind and intelligent but definitely had her flaws. I did feel sorry for her poor Mam at times, who was clearly trying her best whilst dealing with her own grief. The relationship that Natty struck up with Johnny was just so pure and wholesome to read. The way they both helped each other, without even really realising, just adorable. I also loved how Johnny was able to be so calm and collected, despite having lost pretty much everything.
There are so many other delightful characters gracing these pages, that it's hard to single them all out. Wonderful Nerys, with her huge heart and boundless enthusiasm. I was quietly cheering her with all her grand plans and ambitions. Poor Huw, recovering from the traumas of war but still holding his head up as high as he can. Nerys' best friend Owen, who struggles with school because he's constantly hungry. I could spend endless pages with all of them, and wanted to know more and more.
I don't read so much about this time period in history, so have a little less knowledge of what it might have been like to live in the UK during this time. Having said that, it felt like Lesley Parr managed to perfectly paint a picture of life in the valleys. Each household and family touched in some way by loss. The beginning of demands for equality for women. The struggle that was all too familiar to find food for the family. Everything leads towards the young reader starting to think about how life was different back then, and hopefully will inspire them to find out a little more.
I really hope that Lesley goes on to write 100's more books, because the first two are just perfect. I love that they are dealing with some heavy topics, yet still feel like a cwtch in a book. I think it's pretty obvious that I would heartily recommend these books to everyone, they have pride of place on my middle grade bookshelf.
January 2, 2022
Really enjoyed this gifted copy of this book by the wonderful Lesley and Bloomsbury.
I loved the dynamics of this book very much so and it begins with Natty and her Mam and her Mam unfortunately loses her job through no real fault of her own. It came across that this could be a thing that was seen coming as plans were already in place for them to go and live with the Father’s sister in Wales.
Natty is absolutely raging and she is furious with her Mam she has to leave everything she knows behind and she is quite awful to her Mam. Although in these times I think I would have been the same.
Lesley has really done her research well and her writing is absolutely superb at really getting to grips with how these children are in life and she executes it so well on to the page.
Lesley has written in two fabulous characters who are both technically suffering from what we would call now PTSD and it is written in such a way that it is easily understood for the audience it is intended and in a way it doesn’t frighten you off. This portrayal has been done so well and shows different aspects of it in the two characters.
We also face a quite volatile relationship at times between Natty and her cousin Nerys as they share a room and a class which initially seems too much especially as Natty had decided beforehand that they wouldn’t get on. Although when they come together they do actually join forces well and this is written well and is very very believable.
This is an absolutely cracking book and I am so so glad that I have reviewed both of Lesley’s books. Have to say I would love to see this book and the former developed in to a family friendly tv show. I love historical fiction on the tv and I feel that this and the former book could make a very entertaining series.
Congratulations Lesley on another fantastic book. I look forward to seeing what direction your future books take and hopefully I get to review these for you before release too.
Highly recommend this book, grabs yours from early January.
I loved the dynamics of this book very much so and it begins with Natty and her Mam and her Mam unfortunately loses her job through no real fault of her own. It came across that this could be a thing that was seen coming as plans were already in place for them to go and live with the Father’s sister in Wales.
Natty is absolutely raging and she is furious with her Mam she has to leave everything she knows behind and she is quite awful to her Mam. Although in these times I think I would have been the same.
Lesley has really done her research well and her writing is absolutely superb at really getting to grips with how these children are in life and she executes it so well on to the page.
Lesley has written in two fabulous characters who are both technically suffering from what we would call now PTSD and it is written in such a way that it is easily understood for the audience it is intended and in a way it doesn’t frighten you off. This portrayal has been done so well and shows different aspects of it in the two characters.
We also face a quite volatile relationship at times between Natty and her cousin Nerys as they share a room and a class which initially seems too much especially as Natty had decided beforehand that they wouldn’t get on. Although when they come together they do actually join forces well and this is written well and is very very believable.
This is an absolutely cracking book and I am so so glad that I have reviewed both of Lesley’s books. Have to say I would love to see this book and the former developed in to a family friendly tv show. I love historical fiction on the tv and I feel that this and the former book could make a very entertaining series.
Congratulations Lesley on another fantastic book. I look forward to seeing what direction your future books take and hopefully I get to review these for you before release too.
Highly recommend this book, grabs yours from early January.
February 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this story. After I read The Valley of Lost Secrets, I was looking forward to reading their next book, and I was not let down. The story follows Natty who, after moving to Wales, tries to help her cousin and a young man who has forgotten who he was. It was a very sweet tale, and while it didn't make me tear up like The Valley of Lost Secrets did, it was still a heartful story. The only thing that made this a four star instead of a five star was how much Natty's other cousin: Nevys was bullied. I really felt bad for her because everyone was always snapping at her, even Natty did at times. It felt almost as if the story glossed over how Nevys was feeling at times, and I left me feeling a little unsatisfied. But other then that, it was a really good story.
January 17, 2023
I received a exclusive extract from Bloomsbury Publishing of "When the War Came Home" by Lesley Parr, in return for an honest review.. However after reading the extract I immediately purchased the book to continue Natty's story.
I read this book with my 9 year old who was engaged from the first chapter. Through 14 year old Natty , we get a gentle introduction to the reality of WW1. We learn about the men who came home and suffering from physical disabilities and "shell shock" or what we could call today PTSD. We also learn about social history of the time. Poverty, unions and sufferagettes.
It is a perfect history lesson for the young teen age group and the subject it dealt with sensitively but effectively. I highly recommend it.
I read this book with my 9 year old who was engaged from the first chapter. Through 14 year old Natty , we get a gentle introduction to the reality of WW1. We learn about the men who came home and suffering from physical disabilities and "shell shock" or what we could call today PTSD. We also learn about social history of the time. Poverty, unions and sufferagettes.
It is a perfect history lesson for the young teen age group and the subject it dealt with sensitively but effectively. I highly recommend it.
May 28, 2025
„Когато войната се прибра у дома“ от Лесли Пар, издадена на български от „Дъбови листа“ в превод на Габриела Кожухарова, е тих, дълбоко съкровен роман за следите, които оставя войната – не само по бойните полета, а в сърцата, домовете и сънищата на децата. Писан с изключителна деликатност и внимание към емоционалната истина, този роман ни среща с трима герои, които продължават живота си в мирно, следвоенно време, но макар и гърмежите да са заглъхнали, ехото на загубите още звучи. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
July 10, 2022
This is a beautiful book, I rate it 5⭐️. It does have some welsh language used in conversation in the book (being a fluent welsh speaker this was welcoming for me) don’t let that put you off though as it’s both poignant and compelling.
The book is set post World War One when the soldiers have returned home, understandably not the same men they were before the war. It is seen through a child’s eyes, with the main protagonist set on helping some of the soldiers that she meets as well as dealing with her own troubles.
This books touches on many of the issues that people faced during that era in such a beautiful way.
I may be biased but ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all the way for me.
The book is set post World War One when the soldiers have returned home, understandably not the same men they were before the war. It is seen through a child’s eyes, with the main protagonist set on helping some of the soldiers that she meets as well as dealing with her own troubles.
This books touches on many of the issues that people faced during that era in such a beautiful way.
I may be biased but ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all the way for me.
January 16, 2022
When Natty and her Mum are forced to move in with her cousin's family in a new village, Natty is initially unhappy. Her mother can be outspoken and Natty is fed up with there always being a cause to fight, but when she meets some convalescing soldiers and gets to know her cousin Huw, who is battling his own demons and then gets caught up in a cause of her own, she realises that some things are definitely worth fighting for...
Lesley Parr has done it again with these wonderful characters and fab story set just after the First World War. Wonderful.
Lesley Parr has done it again with these wonderful characters and fab story set just after the First World War. Wonderful.
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