X-Book

Where The River Takes Us

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Where The River Takes Us by Lesley Parr, read by Scott Arthur.

From the author of The Valley of Lost Secrets comes a thrilling adventure about the power of friendship, set in a Welsh valley in the 1970s, for readers of 9+. Shortlisted for the 2024 Tir na n-Og Awards.

Jason lives with his big brother, Richie, trying their best to make ends meet so they can stay together. They've got supportive neighbours and some great friends, but there's always the threat that someone will think they can't manage on their own since their parents died. It’s February 1974 and working-class families have been hit hard by the three-day week. The reduced power usage means less work, and less money to get by on. Richie is doing his best, but to make enough money, he’s been doing favours for the wrong people.

An urban legend about a beast in the valleys catches Jason's eye in the local paper. A wild cat is said to roam the forest, far up the river from their bridge. A reward is offered for proof of The Beast’s existence. Jason's friends are desperate to help him, and they convince him that this is the answer to his and Richie’s money problems.

And so a quest begins. Four best friends soon find themselves on a journey that will change each of them … forever.

With echoes of Stand By Me, this thrilling middle-grade adventure is packed with irresistible characters and a page-turning plot with relatable themes, making this another timeless story from one of our finest writers of historical fiction for kids.

'What a story. What a writer. Simply stunning' – Emma Carroll
Selected as The Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week 12 March 2023
Longlisted for the Historical Association Young Quills Award 2024

Critics Review

What a story. What a writer. Simply stunning
Emma Carroll
A luminous love letter to brotherhood & friendship. It sits effortlessly alongside Stand By Me & Ostrich Boys. And like everything Lesley writes, it radiates a big, beautiful heart
Phil Earle
A poignant, funny adventure for 9+, rich in bittersweet, evocative detail.
Guardian
With echoes of Stand By Me, this thrilling middle-grade adventure gives us the most exquisite characterisation and a page-turning plot with relatable themes, making this utterly timeless and one of the finest historical fiction stories in the market today
The Bookseller
Entrancing
Financial Times
Beautifully told. This appealing book is about losses healed, lies uncovered, cruelty defeated and goodness rewarded
Sunday Times on THE VALLEY OF LOST SECRETS
An assured, thoughtful historical novel with a richly evoked post-war Welsh setting
Guardian on WHEN THE WAR CAME HOME
Author Lesley Parr
Narrator Scott Arthur
Duration 4 hours and 45 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781526653017
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Historical fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.