When the War Came Home

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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.

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. 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.’ Associate Professor of History & Nesuhi Ertegün Chair of Modern Turkish Studies, Georgetown University 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. 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.

About Lesley Parr

Natty lives alone with her mother, whose militancy over factory working conditions is the reason they lose their home and have to move in with kindly relatives. Her new school has a vicious headmaster, universally known as Mad Dog. While some nearby Educational Boards provide free meals, this one does not, and Natty has to witness pupils too hungry to concentrate getting caned across the palm of the hand. Her recourse is a nearby convalescent home for injured soldiers, and she makes particular friends with one who has lost all memory. At school, meanwhile, pupils pushed too far finally organise a strike, with Natty who up to now has been embarrassed by any show of militancy happy to join in. Akın's When the War Came Home is an important historical revision that fully portrays the imperial home front for the first time. Moreover, this unique interdisciplinary work reconsiders existing temporal, geographical, and methodological approaches to the study of World War I in the Middle East."––Melanie S. Tanielian, Journal of Interdisciplinary History It is also a multi-layered story, as we see through the eyes of the soldiers in the convalescent home, the effect the First World War had on so many, when they returned home. We don’t often see this period of history explored in depth within this age range – more often it is World War Two – and it is explored really well with care and sensitivity. In addition to all the above, When the War Came Home, also gives us a very realistic insight into what life was like during the 1920s in Welsh villages in South Wales. There is much to discuss in terms of family life, school, the effect of poverty and general day-to-day living. It’s like she melts. Her shoulders go down and her face softens. She kisses his cheek and practically skips out of the kitchen.”

Natty’s fury at her mother’s activism diminishes slowly through the warm welcome of her cousins’ family. It seems they and the village of Ynysfach are keen to integrate the newcomers into their lives. However, it’s ‘Johnny’ at Talbot House, who provides most comfort and interest to Natty. It seems his experiences at the front in WWI have left him as an unknown, somebody being treated to remember who he is and where he comes from. Is there some way that Natty might help? Reason number 3: The language used is impactful and powerful and it gets you to read on more and the suspense is next level! 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.

Age range(s)

If you haven’t already read The Valley of Lost Secrets, you absolutely must! I realised I didn’t write a post for this – I often find the books I enjoy the most the most difficult to write a review for. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Yiğit Akın's fascinating book is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of World War I, the late Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey and is certain to occupy an important place in these fields for many years to come." 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.

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. 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. Lesley’s Debut novel, The Valley of Lost Secrets is a gripping World War Two drama set in the South Wales valleys. The setting in When the War Came Home is again a small Welsh village in the South Wales valleys but this time set shortly after the First World War. Told in first person through the central character, Natty, makes this a really compelling read. It opens when Natty is not happy when her mam loses her job after speaking out about unfair working conditions, where she worked. With no income they have to leave their home and move to a new area to stay with Natty’s Aunty Mary and Uncle Dewi, who run a small farm in the Welsh countryside. Even worse for Natty, she has to share a room with her very chatty cousin Nerys and missing her Friday night chippy tea in the flat they used to live in above the ironmongers. She has to adjust to a new school where the teacher uses the cane and going home to the farm for lunch as there are no free school meals at this school. 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.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. 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.