First up, I ADORE TIPPY PARRISH!!! I didn't like her when she was Penny's irritating little sister, but oh my gosh, teenaged Tippy is a treat. She's funny and no nonsense and gets in just the right kind of trouble. She is a good friend and a snappy dresser when needed.
So - ready for polio, postwar postings and puppy love?
Chapter One - The Parrishes are being called to Germany and Tippy is NOT happy! The rest is just bringing new readers up to date on who all the players are.
Chapter Two - This is a really lovely chapter about how the Parrishes communicate. It shows everyone's attitude about the move and has a lovely quote -"Other families might woefully accept another way of life or be indifferent to the suffering of one of its minor members, but the Parrishes reached into a grab bag and pulled out everyone's emotions, spread them out and aired them until they were quite acceptable and ready for use." Isn't that a thoughtful group? There is also some nonsense about little Davy being jealous of his little brother. He'll get his...
Chapter Three - Tippy learns to drive by being left alone in the car and told to find her way back. Bobby gets involved and helps and annoys her in turn. This seems like that process of throwing someone in the water to get them to swim, except there are people walking around who could be turned into innocent bystanders pretty darn quick!
Chapter Four - It is very much a time of change. Carrol and Penny are hoseying the older Parrishes' treasures for when they are away. Mr. Parrish leaves and Tip worries her mom will be lonely. She goes to the movies where she feels superior to a fat girl and is embarrassed to see the young officer she met while she was destroying the base whilst learning to drive. She goes home to see her mom, but no one is there but Trudy, the housekeeper. They have a conversation about who gets to be called Miss and Mister and who is just called by their first name. Apparently it is a thing.
Chapter Five - Tippy decides to be a poet, but I don't think it is going to stick. Then she joins Alice and Gwen for a bridesmaid dress fitting for Jennifer's wedding. She then goes on a double lunch date with Alice, Bobby and Peter. She is concerned about how much fighting she has been doing with Bobby and tries to remedy this situation.
Chapter Six - Tippy is still working the writing angle and Peter is besotted by her. Penny comes down to entertain the cousin of a friend and it is a nice look at how the military takes care of its own. It turns out that it is Ken Prescott (SWOON - according to many of my Lambert-loving friends) the young officer who has observed Tippy act the fool TWICE and she is mortified. Penny is trying to fix them up but Bobby ruins it by insisting on going to the city with them. Yay, Bobby! I am firmly on team Peter.
Chapter Seven - SO MUCH DRAMA! Tippy and Alcie are talking about marrying each other's brothers someday and it comes out that Bobby has been confiding in Alcie about his relationship with Tip and vice versa. Tippy feels betrayed and the girls get in quite the row before they realize how stupid it is. In other news, Penny and Josh come down for dinner before the show. When they call to check on the kids, there is no answer and all hell breaks loose. I smell polio!
Chapter Eight - They race up to the country and it turns out that Davy has polio which was a huge fear at this time and was a very big deal as there was no vaccine yet. What must it be like to live in fear of an easily transmittable, potentially deadly disease for which there is no cure?? Holy cow, when I read this, I had no idea and now I live it every day. Crazy... Anyhoo - Tippy doesn't go in the house so that she is not possibly infected. This way she can take care of Parri if necessary. Why the heck did Penny go in the house? Just to be a good friend to Carrol? There is an interesting bit where Penny wishes it was the baby because they didn't know him so well yet.
Chapter Nine - Tippy takes care of Parri and tries to curl her hair. It doesn't go well, but it gives Penny and Mrs. Parrish a much needed laugh. Tip is nervous about visiting Carrol and Dave at the hospital, but it goes well and the doctor says Davy will live and maybe even walk again someday.
Chapter Ten - So Alcie and Tippy discuss the birthday dance which is going on despite Davy, The Jordans are going to have a house party for Tippy and Bobby which is awfully thoughtful. In other news Mrs. Parrish gets uncharacteristically het up about the move. Tippy comforts her beautifully, earning a "Miss" in front of her name from Trudy. The whole "Miss Tippy" seems racially uncomfortable at best, but Trudy tells the story of how her pastor called her Miss Trudy for the first time and it kind of sets it as an age thing rather than a black/white thing. Perhaps it was just something of the time, but it still doesn't sit easy.
Chapter Eleven - Tippy thinks everyone has forgotten her birthday. Josh cheers her up with the gift of a typewriter. But even more by treating her as an adult. Then she finds out her family has bought her a gorgeous dress for the dance with all the fashionable accoutrements. THEN Alcie throws her a surprise dinner party! Peter gives her a charm bracelet and all is right with the world.
Chapter Twelve - Tippy's party is horrible and wonderful. Ken Prescott makes her nervous with his manly ways, but Peter asks her to wear his pin and thinks about "someday" with her. She declines, but is pleased to be asked.
Chapter Thirteen - Tippy wakes up with an excitement hangover. She can't help but tell Alcie about Peter's proposal, but is disappointed by his chipper demeanor. Shouldn't he be heartbroken? A conversation with Penny gives her a chance to learn the evils of going steady.
Chapter Fourteen - Tippy says goodbye to Davy at the hospital. She brings him soldiers and is optimistic. She says goodbye to Trudy and it is sweet. She spends her last night in the US with Bobby, Alcie and Peter. They take a drive and try not to think about the future.
Chapter Fifteen - It is time to go. Because of packing restrictions, Tippy has to wear ALL HER CLOTHES and is sweating bullets. She half-heartedly hopes she'll have a fever when she gets her medical check to see if she can go on the boat, but no such luck.
There are fascinating details about military family transport in this chapter! The officers are treated like gods, but their wives and kids are treated like not-very-important baggage. Tippy and her mother are lucky to have a stateroom to themselves, it could have held 4 strangers! There are last minute packing issues and Peter and Alcie drive Tip to the boat. There is a sweet goodbye to the island as they pass it, but no time to visit.
The boat is "a tub" so any fantasies of shipboard fun are dashed. Tippy finally cracks and has a good cry. Penny offers a trip home next summer and it works to a degree, but not as much as stern talking too from Miss Gertrude, aka Trudy. She is on course to rescind the Miss in Miss Tippy. Tip rallies.
There is a very sweet convo with Peter which he gives her a picture of him in his full dress uniform and asks for one of her in her white dress. He tells her to write out all her sadness to him. Awwww...
So everyone has to go ashore, but Bobby is nowhere to be found! Where is that thoughtless little troll? His mom needs to say goodbye to him! Just as I am about to write him off, he and Alcie come bounding up the steps with comfy folding chairs for Tip and her mom so that they don't have to spend the entire voyage sitting on awful non-officer-quality wooden benches. Oh Bob, sorry I doubted you!
Well, that's all. I can't wait to see what life on an army base in Germany is like! If my timing remains consistent, I should know by mid 2023!
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