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Angel of Grasmere

From Dunkirk to the Fells

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Angel of Grasmere

By: Tom Palmer, Tom Clohosy Cole
Narrated by: Elaine Fellows
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Tarn grapples with the loss of her brother at Dunkirk as she faces the threat of Nazi invasion in the Cumbrian countryside in this gripping wartime tale from Tom Palmer.

July 1940 – as Tarn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved brother in the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk, she and her friends scour the hills around their Lake District home, watching for any signs of the long-dreaded Nazi invasion.

But as the war drags on, with little good news from the front, the locals become aware of someone carrying out anonymous acts of kindness, such as saving a flock of sheep from a snowdrift and getting help for an injured farmer who might otherwise have died.

With no one claiming credit, they come to think of this unidentified stranger as a kind of guardian angel, but when his identity is finally revealed, can Tarn come to terms with the truth…?

©2024 Tom Palmer (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers Action & Adventure Growing Up & Facts of Life Historical Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction
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Critic reviews

"Tom Palmer's Angel of Grasmere is another affecting war story, centred on a girl in the Lake District who, following her brother's death at Dunkirk, starts to believe in a guardian angel." – The Telegraph
"Such a meaningful and moving story about friendship, kindness, and what it is to be brave. I loved it." – Dan Smith
"Wise and kind and so vividly told" – Hilary McKay
"A masterful exploration of trauma and kindness, hope and loss. A cast of richly-drawn characters bring the well-plotted story to life and the setting feels both timeless up in the fells around Grasmere, and indelibly rooted in its WWII period." – Tom Percival
"Strong characters, great emotionally engaging plot and fascinating historical content woven with great skill into a fine novel telling a little known story from WWII." – Nicola Davies
"A really beautiful book – classic feel, characters you care about, incredible setting. Perfect for classrooms, but also just a lovely (and moving) read." – Lesley Parr
"Sharply perceptive and emotive … with a gripping storyline, strands of real history, and a warm and wise exploration of friendship, kindness, and what it is to be brave, this atmospheric adventure is both an inspiration and a reminder of the nation’s wartime hardships, sufferings and sacrifices." – Lancashire Post
"This excellent story adds to Tom Palmer’s impressive collection of wartime books, and reminds readers that bombs didn’t just fall on London." – BookTrust, Book of the Day
"Packed with some dark and very adult themes. Palmer handles them with great sensitivity and compassion. This book could be a comfort to anyone who has someone close who is dealing with PTSD." – Books for Keeps
All stars
Most relevant
It was rather scary and quite dark,I didn’t love this book but had to read it for a piece of work.Would not voluntarily read it and couldn’t sleep well after reading along.my favourite character is Eric as he is strong,fearless and dose not show emotion.Overall I would not recommend this book unless you like war,fiction and don’t get emotional.
My overall emoji thoughts for this book are 💣🇩🇪🌊🛳️🙋‍♂️
One star ⭐️

Not MY thing

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What a fantastic story. I like how once again Tom doesn't shy away from complex topics for children but sensitively opens them up to young readers. The characters are believable and the description of the landscape entrancing. This story gives a very different perspective to WW2 which is important for children to understand.

Tom Palmer at his absolute best

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