The Valley of Secrets

February 7, 2005
First novelist Hussey immerses readers in the sights, smells and sounds of orphan Stephen Lansbury's world, first at his school in London, then in Cornwall, where he has unexpectedly inherited an estate on England's southwest coast. The locals, a colorful cast of supporting characters (largely in cameo roles) believes that, within Lansbury Hall's high walls, Stephen's reclusive Great-Uncle Theo is the lone inhabitant. But Theo, in fact, is dead and, it turns out, has shared his home for decades with Murra-yari, a "forest Indian" he brought back from a youthful expedition to South America, along with a wide variety of plants and "Bugwomp," rare creatures that resemble oversize caterpillars. Despite the intriguing premise, the story becomes overshadowed by its save-the-rainforest message, and the main action consists of lonely Stephen puzzling out the mysteries of his new property and his past, by reading Theo's journals. Only in the last third of the book does Murra-yari, now well past age 80, appear, finally providing human company for Stephen. Although the boy's age is never given, he acts like an adult: he makes plans to polish the silver after lunch and enjoys the "glorious" colors and "brilliant designs" of the tiles in the master bath. Gardeners may enjoy the wealth of botanical detail (an appendix lists various flora and fauna) but younger readers may wish for a main character with a bit more moxie. Christopher Crump's pen-and-ink illustrations add an old-fashioned air but, alas, no rendering of the curious Bugwomp. Ages 9-up.

February 14, 2005
Keating's rich, low voice—gravelly and whisper-tinged in all the right places—hooks readers into discovering just what secrets lie inside the magnificent gates of the ancient Cornwall estate known as Lansbury Hall. Wrapped in an evocative cloak of suspense, Hussey's debut novel stars an orphan boy named Stephen who learns he has inherited the long-overgrown Lansbury Hall from a great-uncle he never knew he had. Stephen's exploration of his new, mysterious surroundings (and the creepy discovery that someone else has been living there all along) form the bulk of this meaty tale. The lad's detailed interest in botany will be a bonus for any green-thumbed listeners. Keating's understated British accent and smooth delivery go far in making this a great selection to sink one's ears into. Ages 8-up.