The Valley of Whispers

Disgrifiad Cymraeg / Welsh Description

Mae Tomas wedi symud i bentref newydd gyda'i fam. Wrth iddo grwydro'r pentref, mae'n dechrau sylwi ar fachgen rhyfedd yn ymddangos ar brydiau rhyfedd. Pwy yw'r bachgen yma, a sut fydd ei bresenoldeb yn effeithio ar Tomas? Nofel sy'n cyflwyno trasiedi Aber-fan mewn modd parchus a sensitif.

Disgrifiad Saesneg / English Description

Having recently moved with his mother to a new area, Tomas is eager to settle down, make new friends and to explore. In an enchanting tale of innocence and discovery, he soon comes to realize that things aren't quite what they seem in the village and that the past is more than just a distant memory. A sensitive novel with the Aber-fan tragedy as its backdrop.

Dosbarthu

Byddwn yn dosbarthu eitemau sydd mewn stoc o fewn 3 diwrnod gwaith, fel arfer drwy Royal Mail Tracked 48. Ar gyfer archebion o flaen llaw, byddwn yn dosbarthu’r eitem o fewn 3 diwrnod gwaith ar ôl ei derbyn gan ein cyflenwr.

Dispatch

In-stock items will be dispatched within 3 business days, usually by Royal Mail Tracked 48. For pre-orders, we’ll dispatch within 3 business days of receiving the item from our supplier.

Adolygiad y Cyhoeddwr / Publisher Review

For such a short book, there’s a lot going on! A boy has to come to terms with his mother’s new man while being haunted by a ghost and learning about the Aberfan disaster. In between, he builds a tree house, collects dog poo for a booby trap, and plays computer games with his best friend. I’m not entirely sure who the novel’s target audience is – the main character is nine years old, but the story feels as if it needs a slightly more mature reader to get the full weight of what is happening, and the ending is rather spiritual. Some of the descriptive writing is great. I particularly like Tomos leaving the sweetcorn in his dinner 'all over his plate like wounded men in a tomato fight'. However, overall, I’m not entirely sure I bought the premise. It seems to me unlikely that a child who’d grown up in Aberfan (as Tomos’ best friend did) would be unaware of the disaster that occurred 50 years ago. And, while the book talks often of mobile phones, computer games and current movies, the children (though only nine) are given remarkable Famous Five-like freedom in their summer holidays. Nonetheless, it’s a lively and speedy read.