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Billabong #6
Captain Jim
If I do fall, I am leaving you that place of mine in Surrey.
It is 1916 and the dark days of World War One drag on. Both Jim and Wally are returning to the Front line when Norah discovers she has been left a legacy - a large house complete with stables and its own farm in the Surrey countryside. Her initial reaction of dismay soon changes when Norah realises that she can help the war effort, and together with her father, they turn "Homewood" into a house for wounded and exhausted civilians. When a telegram arrives with the worst news of all, Norah and her father somehow manage to keep going - until the day that brings a miracle into their lives.
It is 1916 and the dark days of World War One drag on. Both Jim and Wally are returning to the Front line when Norah discovers she has been left a legacy - a large house complete with stables and its own farm in the Surrey countryside. Her initial reaction of dismay soon changes when Norah realises that she can help the war effort, and together with her father, they turn "Homewood" into a house for wounded and exhausted civilians. When a telegram arrives with the worst news of all, Norah and her father somehow manage to keep going - until the day that brings a miracle into their lives.
334 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1919
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 29, 2019
Set in London during the days of World War 1, Norah and her father David Linton were deciding what to do with “Homewood”, the property left to Norah by a British veteran who had perished in the war effort, while Jim, Norah’s brother and his best friend Wally were heading back to the Front after recovering from a gassing. The decision to turn the property in Surrey into a Home for Tired People, where the newly released from hospital soldiers could recover completely before heading back to war, was a good one, and many would benefit.
The eclectic mix of people to stay at "Homewood" was a wonderful thing, with Norah helping the cook in the role of housekeeper, and Mr Linton covering a vast range of areas on the property. The horses were a godsend; the small golf course well-used and the burgeoning vegetable garden a boon to their supplies. But the day the telegram arrived was a day that changed them all. Would they be able to keep "Homewood" going? There were many to help…
Captain Jim is the 6th in the Billabong series by Aussie author Mary Grant Bruce and I loved it! It’s exceptionally well written (originally published in 1919) and both heartwarming, and heartbreaking. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series. Highly recommended.
The eclectic mix of people to stay at "Homewood" was a wonderful thing, with Norah helping the cook in the role of housekeeper, and Mr Linton covering a vast range of areas on the property. The horses were a godsend; the small golf course well-used and the burgeoning vegetable garden a boon to their supplies. But the day the telegram arrived was a day that changed them all. Would they be able to keep "Homewood" going? There were many to help…
Captain Jim is the 6th in the Billabong series by Aussie author Mary Grant Bruce and I loved it! It’s exceptionally well written (originally published in 1919) and both heartwarming, and heartbreaking. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series. Highly recommended.
June 29, 2017
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this book. It's a simple story, but it really pulled me in and I developed a great affection for the characters. Readers should remember the time frame in which it was written. I had a few "ouch" moments when characters said things that we would consider rather sexist or racist.
Many thanks to the Librivox narrator for her excellent reading. I loved her accent, even though it meant I couldn't quite catch every word.
Many thanks to the Librivox narrator for her excellent reading. I loved her accent, even though it meant I couldn't quite catch every word.
July 25, 2011
Captain Jim is set in England during World War I. Norah and her father have moved to England to be in the same hemisphere as Jim and his best mate Wally who have enlisted of course as loyal sons of the British Empire. While the two lads are at war, Norah & her father acquire a country home & open it as a convalescent center for soldiers who need it.
Like Rilla of Ingleside, Captain Jim is a book about World War I from the viewpoint of those from the Empire's nations who supported Britain in the war. From that viewpoint alone, it's interesting and worth reading. There isn't nearly as much blow-by-blow description of the war as in Rilla but one still gets a good sense of the people and times.
Like Rilla of Ingleside, Captain Jim is a book about World War I from the viewpoint of those from the Empire's nations who supported Britain in the war. From that viewpoint alone, it's interesting and worth reading. There isn't nearly as much blow-by-blow description of the war as in Rilla but one still gets a good sense of the people and times.
January 3, 2026
This is one of my favourite books of all time. It's spectacularly well written, and shows a different side to Australian lives in WWII.
Jim, Norah and their father have a wonderful relationship, and it makes me feel all warm and cosy reading about it. Add in Wally, and there's another element to the story. His relationship with Jim and Norah is endearing, and has some of the best bits of the entire series.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
Jim, Norah and their father have a wonderful relationship, and it makes me feel all warm and cosy reading about it. Add in Wally, and there's another element to the story. His relationship with Jim and Norah is endearing, and has some of the best bits of the entire series.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
August 5, 2015
I'm not sure how this made it onto one of the lists of classic books I have but it doesn't belong there. The story was entertaining enough and I even shed a tear at the appropriate time but it wasn't something to be preserved for the ages. Perhaps good for a glimpse into the lives of those in England during WWI but not much more.
August 11, 2023
A wonderful story, set among the trenches of France and the fields of England. Beautifully and simply written, with tension and excitement running high to crash in a tear-jerking climax. Certainly one of the best Billabong stories.
March 9, 2024
One of my favourite books. A reread, of course, as I've read all the Billabong books before, but this is one of my favourites of this superlative series. I love the way it balances both characterisation and pacing; tightly and well plotted, with the perfect balance between points of view, allowing the audience to see more than any single person without losing the suspense because of what others don't know. I cried several times through this book, and laughed a great many more. (For 'cried and cried', see chapter "At the end of a perfect day".) Anyway, I love this book and the banter is precisely what I try and write in my own books, basing it off this series.
June 22, 2025
I went from skipping ahead to being utterly enthralled, & back again. I’m keen to find out what happens with these characters, so I’m hanging in there, but it does get a touch slow from time to time.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews