Welcome Home, Mrs. Jordon

Tippy Parrish #6

by Janet Lambert

Tippy Parrish becomes Mrs. Peter Jordon. The young couple adjusts to married life in their new home in Panama.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult

191 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1953

About the author

Janet Lambert, born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, was a popular girls' story author from 1941 through 1969 (and beyond to today). She wrote 54 books during that time about a number of different girls and their families. Her most popular series were about the Parrishes and the Jordons. These stories, and many of her other series, became entwined as the various characters met each other, married, and then had children of their own!

Janet, having an interest in both the theater and writing, decided to write her own plays in which to act. She did achieve her goal and appeared on Broadway. When she married a career Army officer, her life on stage came to a close, but her stories were still flowing. Knowing well the "life of the Army," many of Ms. Lambert's books are set on Army posts throughout the United States.

Legend has it that her stories started as bedtime stories for her children while they were overseas. Each night, the author would tell the next "installment" of the series. Later, after her kids were grown, she penned one of her stories (Star Spangled Summer) and—according to legend—it was sold to a publisher the very day after she sent it to them.

Reviews

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

2026 Reread
I do love Tippy and Peter. Enjoyed this reread.

Planning her wedding is a bit more challenging than Tippy first thought because the Army keeps delaying Peter's orders. When is he going to make it up? When the orders are cut, it's rather laughable because plans are upside down once again. But the wedding is so sweet and I just love having all the Parrishes and the Jordans all together. There is some great marriage advice in this sweet story.

There are some euphemisms and some "darns" in the book. It is not a Christian book.

[Karen Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tippy marries Peter Jordon and they head off to Panama, where Peter is stationed. As usual, Tippy is trying to find her place in this new world of hers. She enjoys being married, setting up her first house, and meeting some new people, but she's dreadfully homesick. It's her first time being so far away from her family and she doesn't want to worry Peter with her childish feelings. It takes her a while to realize that a marriage is a partnership and sharing her feelings with her husband will help her.

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this might be my favorite of the Tippy series, if only because Tippy really has a chance to grow up and become her own person. She and Peter marry in the first few chapters, then move to his duty station in Panama. Tippy is terribly homesick but tries to look brave, hiding her loneliness and falling into self-pity. Peter, knowing her as he does, is not fooled and has worries of his own.
Family members help Tippy escape her pity-party--one of them involuntarily being helpful!--and Peter demonstrates patience and wisdom--surprise, or not! His nickname for Tippy annoys me no end, but overall he is a solid and likable hero throughout the series, who goes through difficult growth periods of his own.
I found the setting fascinating, and Tippy's maturation from a spoiled and self-centered youngest child into a young Army wife who can stand on her own two feet makes for a quick, satisfying read. Don't expect excitement or great drama in most of these books--they're written for young teens and have many strong points of their own.

[Carolynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tippy marries Peter Jordon (Surprised?) and goes with him to Panama where he is stationed in the Army. She is homesick, but doesn't want to burden Peter with it, and he fears she is grieving for Ken (her late fiance, who died in Vietnam)as well as her family. Finally they are able to communicate their differences and create their first home together. This book is pretty effective at depicting some of the problems that face newlyweds as they feel their way painfully through some of the obstacles that prevent their developing a solid relationship, as well as some of the practical difficulties inherent in establishing a new home--exacerbated in this case by conditions in Panama, so different from the life Tippy is used to.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another Tippy Parrish book. Tippy gets married in this book and goes to Panama where the Army has stationed her new husband. I especially liked the description of Panama in the early 1950s and army life there. Lambert paints her characters so vividly that the reader becomes fond of them. She also makes Tippy's emotions real, which adds to the realness of the person. I think that this might be the last Tippy book, although she is bound to have a classic special appearance in some other Lambert book.

[Meg W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy! Tippy Parish and Peter Jordan are married! Honestly I get so angry with Tippy, especially when (in previous books) she dragged Peter's feelings through the dirt. Sorry, rant over :)! Great book on Tippy and Peter getting used to married life, especially for Tippy who misses her family back in the U.S. Good read and one of my favorite out of the series (though Tippy gets my dander up again).