The Stars Hang High

Jordon Family #7

by Janet Lambert

Book 7 of the Jordon Series. Bitsy must prove that she can make it on her own while Susan must choose between Bobby Parrish and Keith Drayton.

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

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

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't written many reviews on this Goodreads page lately, but I just have to write one for this book. I've mentioned Janet Lambert's books and raved about how fun they are, but this book raised my level of respect for her writing to new heights.

Bobby Parrish has been a character since book one--Star-Spangled Summer--and always the goofy, stuck-on-himself kid, too clever and good-looking for his own good, chick magnet and braggart, undependable, always working an angle to get his way, never serious about anything (although he did manage to make it through West Point, third from the bottom of his class). In his teens he was in love with Alice, one of the Jordon sisters, but she wisely passed him by and married Jon instead (also a fun book!). A few years on, he noticed Alice's lonely sister Susan, eight years his junior, and sort of took her on as his lackey for a summer (though he was kind to her too, in his off-handed way). Give it a few more years and books, and Bobby noticed Susan as a very pretty and intelligent girl. Being Bobby, he outright told her he intended to marry her when she was old enough. Subtle, he is not.

Susan, being a girl of character and intelligence, didn't take him seriously for a moment. For the next several books he keeps trying to find ways to win her over, but although he often amuses her, his clumsy and ridiculous efforts finally drive her away. Does this guy sound like a romantic hero? Hardly!

Yet Janet Lambert pulled it off. In this rather adorable book she shows us a different side of Bobby. Yes he's been a slow bloomer, but by age 26 he has finally developed some good sense and a solid work ethic, and when Susan really needs him, he comes through. Don't want to spoil the plot, but I suspected she had a really soft spot for the handsome goof all along, and it turns out so sweet and satisfying!

Seriously, this series of books is my go-to for relaxing, satisfying reading. The plots are simple, old-fashioned yet timeless. The worldview is from 50+ years ago yet surprisingly ahead of its time, despite the lack of ethnic diversity. Kindle copies of these books are not cheap, and there a LOT of them to read, but used print copies are available, and I've picked up a few just because I love them so much. These characters are like friends to me, and I only hope someday I can write books as well loved and timeless as Janet Lambert's.

Try them! You won't regret it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the ongoing story of Susan Jordan. This whole series is amazing and very nostalgic set during World War II and afterwards up into the Korean War. In this story Susan seems to be very serious with Keith Drayton (whose family appears in another Lambert series) and whose brother is married to her older sister Alice. Bobby Parrish, whom I consider a crazy stalker, is also one of Susan's suitors. Then Susan's father, General Jordan, asks Susan to accompany him on a 4 month business trip to Japan and Singapore. Once there, General Jordan becomes seriously ill and a frightened Susan doesn't know what to do. To her rescue comes Bobby Parrish who had jockeyed his way into the position of aide to another General, traveling to the far-east, just to be near Susan. For once in the Lambert books Bobby becomes sensible and takes over getting Susan and her ill father home. Guess who wins her hand?

The book also has the upcoming story of the youngest Jordan girl, Bitsy, and her angst being an adolescent.

[Meg W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Jordon goes to the orient with her father because no one else in the family will (aka Bitsy is to selfish to). She decides her father needs her more and puts her own life on hold. Bitsy takes over her job in a bookstore, planning on doing a better job then Susan. Keith Drayton, one of Susan's suitors, misses Susan and so Bitsy is more then happy to fill in the void her sister left. While in Hong Kong General Jordon gets sick and Susan is all alone and not sure what to do when Robert Blaine Parrish (although in another book his middle name is Starr) comes to her rescue. He is an aide to a general stationed in the orient. He takes over for Susan gets both herself and the general home to America and proves to her he can be the sturdy oak she is looking for.

Ugh, do I hate this book or do I love it? I was slightly disappointed that it was mostly about Bitsy Jordon. The parts with Susan I really liked. I can't decided whether I feel sorry for Bitsy Jordon or if I hate her. She is a little brat and she realizes it, but whenever she says she'll make a change she doesn't. Her selfishness and deceit is the total opposite of Susan's self giving, family love. As for Susan's choices for matrimony......couldn't Mrs. Lambert make a better guy for one of her best characters? Bobby is ok, he just doesn't deserve someone so mature and loving as Susan. They are total opposites, but I guess opposites attract. Then there is Keith. He showed a lot of promise when we first meet him in "A Dream For Susan", but he turned out very self focused. He reminded me of character named Alice Swallow in the movie "Bringing Up Baby" with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, the one with the leopard and the dinosaur bone, and the dog, but I digress. He starts showing signs of liking Bitsy (giving her a name of endearment and going out with her) way before he knows Bobby has a higher place in Susan's heart. Why does Susan get stuck with the fickle guys? Oh, well......now to read about the wedding.

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bitsy tries to adjust to living with her family but feels ignored and unappreciated. This was one of the first Lamberts I owned, in a Scholastic paperback edition, but reading the Jordon family books in the wrong order was very annoying.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a teenager, and it was rather out of date then...but I loved it.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, my favorite of the Susan Jordon books (although I could do with less Bitsy Jordon)