Book Review: The Lost Valley by Jennifer Scoullar

Title: The Lost Valley
Author: Jennifer Scoullar
Series: The Tasmanian Tales #2
Publisher:  Pilyara Press
Publication Date; 27th August 2018
Pages: 361
Format Read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of author

Tasmania, 1929: Ten-year-old-twins, Tom and Harry Abbott, are orphaned by a tragedy that shocks Hobart society. They find sanctuary with their reclusive grandmother, growing up in the remote and rugged Binburra ranges – a place where kind-hearted Tom discovers a love of the wild, Harry nurses a growing resentment towards his brother and where the mountains hold secrets that will transform both their lives.

The chaos of World War II divides the brothers, and their passion for two very different women fuels a deadly rivalry. Can Tom and Harry survive to heal their rift? And what will happen when Binburra finally reveals its astonishing secrets?

From Tasmania’s highlands to the Battle of Britain, and all the way to the golden age of Hollywood, 'The Lost Valley' is a lush family saga about two brothers whose fates are entwined with the land and the women they love.

The Lost Valley is a sequel to Jennifer Scoullar’s Fortune’s Son. You can read my review of Fortune’s Son here

The Lost Valley opens in 1929 at the height of the Wall Street crash. Ten year old twins Tom and Harry Abbott are orphaned by a tragedy and are taken in by their estranged grandmother Isabelle Buchanon. The twins handle their parents’ death and the move to their grandmother’s country home, Binburra, in different ways. Tom, a quiet soul, connects with nature and finds comfort in his grandmother’s attention. Harry acts out his anger making life difficult and tumultuous for everyone. The once close brothers are now separated by a growing rift of resentment.

The Lost Valley is a sweeping tale spanning 25 years encompassing the great depression with crippling economies and rising unemployment leaving families destitute and highlighting the lengths people had to go to simply to keep a roof over their head and food on the table; many women turning to prostitution.

Scoullar adds historical events to place the story solidly in its time period.

From the Australian bush to war torn London and the horrors of war with a focus on the terrible toll on the families of men disfigured during war with many wives preferring to distance themselves from these men rather than live with the heartache.

Jennifer Scoullar has created an atmospheric story of unforgettable splendour, sibling rivalry at its worst and the effects of the war on all men and women.

As in Fortune’s Son conservation and endangered species are at the heart of the story.

The Lost Valley can be read alone however to get the full benefit from this story I would recommend reading Fortune’s Son first and fall in love with the characters and the Tasmanian wilderness.

My Rating 5/5        🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Best selling author Jennifer Scoullar writes page-turning fiction about the land, people and wildlife that she loves.

Scoullar is a lapsed lawyer who harbours a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. She lives on a farm in Autsralia's southern Victorian ranges, and had riden and bred horses all her life.

Her passion for animals and the bush is the catalyst for her best-selling books, which are all inspired by different landscapes.