Where The River Takes Us: Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week

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There is a candor to the boys' friendship that I adored, because how they would get awkward about being soft and sentimental, even though they cared, they just didn't know how to express their feelings. After Jason confronted Tam and asked him why he never asked about his parents and Tam's own eyes welled up with tears as he admitted that he was always too afraid to ask, because he never knew what to say that would be right and not hurtful - when Jinx refused to head home without completing their mission, hurting that if they didn't win the money, Jason would leave and he would lose his best friends. 😢😢 these are just two moments, but how the writer captures those moments to show the depth of their friendship. And it's not only the boys - Catrin is as fierce and fearsome as they come - a girl, who can stand up to the best of them and honestly, the most understanding and caring childhood friend, Jason could ever hope for. 🫂🫂 It's February 1974 and working class families have been hit hard by the three-day week. The reduced power usage means less hours for people to work, and less money to get by on. And so a quest begins. Four best friends soon find themselves on a journey that will change each of them … forever.

An urban legend about a beast in the valleys catches Jason's eye in the local paper. A wild cat is said to roam the forest, far up the river from their bridge. A reward is offered for proof of The Beast's existence. Jason's friends are desperate to help him, and they convince him that this is the answer to his and Richie's money problems. was a time of unrest in Britain with three day working weeks and regular power cuts. Times were hard for many but even harder for the leading character and his brother who had been orphaned after a car crash.

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The power of friendship and the kindness of strangers are key themes but also the role of the community in supporting the brothers through this tough time. For Jason, the trip feels symbolic in terms of how he is dealing with his grief and anger. His relationship with his friends is solidified and he and his brother come closer than ever. It's February 1974 and the three day strike affects everyone. Loss of power, money and the miners strike. But for thirteen-year-old Jason and his older brother Richie, they feel the struggle more than most, ever since their parents died. Where The River Takes Us is a beautiful and heartwarming story of friendship, family, and how we can always learn something else about one another as well as ourselves Where The River Takes Us by Lesley Parr is a very engaging children’s novel set in the Welsh valleys in 1974.

Just wonderful, an absolutely wonder of a read, that was laced with honest emotions and believable friendships, I truly enjoyed reading this. Truly. Jason was grieving, Jason was surviving, Jason was wanting. Wanting to make his brother happy, wanting to spend time with his friends, wanting a chance to find a positive way out of the hurt and sadness he felt after his parents' death. This book did not only show so very realistically how a child grieves after losing not one, but two of their parents, but the way people then behave around them. 🤍🤍🤍 It just tugs at your heart strings, leaving you with an ache that can only be soothed, when with such kindness and grace, Lesley Parr resolves all the troubles - reminding us that hope is never lost - it just has to be found again. And on a brave adventure of self-worth down the river, Jason learned to accept his grief and the courage to move on. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Whilst there were certainly times that I shed tears reading this book, there were also moments that made me laugh out loud e.g. a certain lady tractor-driver. Contrasting elements of light and darkness within the story, mirror the changes in pace that Parr uses to successfully make the reader feel that they are travelling this journey alongside Jason and his friends. The addition of Welsh words and phrases also kept me anchored within the adventure and without giving spoilers, the ending was as thrilling and as satisfying as I had hoped it would be.Mae Jason, sy’n dair ar ddeg oed, a’i frawd hŷn Richie wedi byw ar eu pennau eu hunain ers i’w rhieni farw. Mae hi’n 1974 ac mae prinder pŵer ac wythnos tri diwrnod wedi bod yn ergyd drom i deuluoedd. Roedd llai o oriau gweithio’n golygu llai o arian, ac mae Jason yn darganfod bod ei frawd wedi mynd i gwmni pobl ddrwg i gael deupen llinyn ynghyd.

So, if you're looking for a brilliant written, down-to-earth novel that's more about brotherhood (with a brilliant female friend too) than finding a beast, this is definitely one to add to your to-be-read pile. With a dramatic and heart-racing end, will Jason be separated from his brother and his friends? And so a quest begins … Starting at the bridge of their village and following the river north, the four friends soon find themselves on a journey that will change each of them … forever. I really liked this. Humorous and easy style, the characters are all distinct and identifiable. Setting it in the era of the miners' strike is actually very relevant now, in the midst of the 2023 strikes of teachers, nurses and rail workers. Talk of old money and cultural references will most likely fascinate readers, as will the names of people and places. When someone you love dies, you expect to cry. When two people you love die at the same time, you imagine you’d never stop.”It’s 1974 complete with penny sweets, Look In magazines, the minors’ strike and three day working weeks. Jason is 13..he’s recently lost both parents and his brother is trying to keep both of them together, but Richie is struggling and his attempts to keep them afloat are putting both their lives in jeopardy. When a financial reward is offered for photographs of the Blaengaw Beast - a mysterious wild cat which is believed to be on the loose - Jason and his friends see the opportunity to raise some badly needed funds.