Lily is a young Lake District fell runner who, despite her talent, seems to lack the 'killer instinct' in races. Her annoying younger brother enjoys teasing her when she loses races but their squabbling has to stop when they realise their beloved Gran is unwell and Grandad is struggling to cope. Lily's interest in running encourages Gran to talk about her own grandfather, Ernest, who she reveals was a famous fell runner before the First World War. When Lily is given his medals, she also discovers his running log-book. As she reads his diaries, she gradually uncovers the secrets of his wartime service and the reason for his decision never to run again when he returned home. When Gran goes missing, can Ernest's story inspire Lily to rescue her and to have the courage to take on Abbie, her running arch-rival?

Although this story deals with some difficult issues (like Gran's Alzheimer's and wartime violence), it is written in an engaging and sensitive way. The story switches between the last months of the war in 1918 and present-day events easily. Most Y5-Y6 (and older) readers will connect with all the main characters and want to read on to find out what happens to Lily, Ernest and Gran (as well as some other characters introduced during the story). The story, published just before the centenary of the Armistice, also gives you an insight into the dangerous role of the army messenger runner during the First World War and the pressures soldiers on both sides of the conflict faced even after the truce was declared on November 11th.