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.