Stagdale, an isolated village secluded in a valley of chalky hills, is a place that holds many secrets. In the first book set in 1975 twelve-year-old Londoner Kathy moves to the village after her parents divorce, and discovers a wartime diary concealed behind the skirting boards of her cottage bedroom. The new book starts in Nazi-occupied Berlin in 1938, and tells of school boy Max’s escape across Europe on the Kindertransport and his arrival in Stagdale. 

“Stagdale is more than a lovely curio, its intersection of music and graphic storytelling offers a vivid experience and fresh possibilities” - Concrete Islands

" There’s an almost palpable sense of place to Stagdale, with its entangled history and reticent locals. It feels like an authentic location, and Castle’s establishing shots of the titular town often made me nostalgic for childhood holidays." Shelf Abuse

"Castle’s illustrations are a treat for the eyes and it’s the beautifully crafted details that evoke a time long gone by, but they are still modern and prescient". Karl Foster