The Blower of Bubbles

In Short

Beverley Baxter's collection of five long short stories captures the human landscape of the First World War across Britain, Canada, and France. Moving from a frail violin player who kindles generosity in a London tavern to a wealthy Canadian dilettante forced to face his own emptiness, a pilot taking a young French girl on a day's escape, and an American satirist whose cynicism dissolves before British resilience, the book charts emotional awakenings. It endures as an intimate, heartfelt record of how crisis strips away superficial pretenses to reveal deep capacity for kindness, courage, and unexpected grace.

The Story

The book opens with "The Blower of Bubbles," introducing Basil Norman, a delicate, whimsically charming Englishman who plays the violin with heartbreaking beauty. Despite his fragile health and a weak heart that leads to his rejection from military service, Norman spreads warmth through wartime London, using music and gentle wit to touch the lives of strangers, including an impoverished German couple and a rough-spoken merchant who is moved to enlist. His friend, nicknamed Pest, watches Norman fight a constant, silent battle against physical weakness, embodying an indomitable spirit until Norman's frailty eventually claims him, leaving behind a legacy of light.

In another thread, the narrative turns to the harsh realities of the Canadian front and home life. In "The Power and the Glory," Dennis Montague, a wealthy, self-satisfied Toronto socialite, lives an idle, cynical life, easily discarding lovers and mocking charitable causes. However, when the heavy casualties of Ypres hit his home battalion, and a woman accuses him of cowardice, his conscience awakens. Enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Dennis experiences the terrifying reality of No Man's Land, where he is severely wounded and rescued at the cost of a fellow soldier's life. He returns home transformed, a one-armed man who devotes his remaining days to supporting the family of the fallen soldier who saved him.

Across the Channel, "The Airy Prince" follows a French-Canadian aviator who lands near a secluded mill-house in Picardy and befriends a sixteen-year-old girl named Pippa. Transporting her by aeroplane for a single, magical day in wartime London, he gives her a fleeting escape from the shadows of war, exposing her to the city's chaotic beauty before returning her safely to her quiet life, leaving them both altered by the brief encounter.

Meanwhile, "Jacque Noir" depicts a formidable French-Canadian soldier, Des Rosiers, caught between the rigid machinery of military discipline and his fierce love for his village sweetheart, Petite Simunde.

Finally, "Mr. Craighouse of New York, Satirist" follows Lawrence Craighouse, an arrogant American writer sent to England to mock its backward customs. His detached cynicism unravels as he witnesses the quiet sacrifices of the English people—from an elderly farmer tilling fields for his four fallen sons to Lady Dorothy, an earl's daughter who humbly scrubs floors as a V.A.D. nurse. Surrendering his broadsword of satire, Craighouse burns his articles, acknowledging a profound reverence for the nation's grief and stoicism.

How It Unfolds

The music begins In a London establishment, the delicate Basil Norman plays Gounod’s "Ave Maria" on his violin, mesmerizing a diverse crowd of onlookers. His performance inspires a rough-featured merchant to gather funds for an impoverished, sick German woman and her husband, setting a tone of unexpected charity.

A hidden struggle revealed Norman’s friend discovers that the playful "Blower of Bubbles," whom others mistake for a slacker, was turned down for military service due to a failing heart. Norman conceals his physical suffering behind lighthearted banter and generous deeds, fighting an invisible battle until his body gives way.

Awakening from vanity In Toronto, Dennis Montague spends his days writing off lovers and indulging in easy luxury until news arrives that local Canadian units have been decimated by poison gas at Ypres. Tormented by accusations of cowardice, he abandons his elite life to join the infantry.

Mercy in No Man's Land Badly wounded during a night bombardment in France, Dennis lies helpless in the dark until Private Waller, a fellow Canadian, crawls through heavy rifle fire to drag him back to safety. Waller dies in the attempt, leaving Dennis with a broken body but a newly awakened soul.

Flight to a fantasy A military aviator lands his plane in Picardy and invites sixteen-year-old Pippa on a skyward journey across the Channel to spend a single, whirlwind day exploring London. They navigate the crowded streets and bustling tearooms before he flies her home by nightfall, both touched by the fleeting magic.

The satirist's surrender American journalist Lawrence Craighouse arrives in England intent on penning sharp satires about British stiffness and outdated traditions. After seeing the quiet grief of bereaved mothers, working-class sacrifices, and aristocrats doing menial hospital work, he burns his manuscripts in a fireplace and writes a letter of humbled respect to his editor.

The People

• Basil Norman: A whimsical, sensitive Englishman known as "Puck" or the "Blower of Bubbles." He wants to bring joy and beauty into a darkened world, held back by a frail body and a severe heart condition, yet he maintains an unconquerable generosity until his end.
• Dennis Montague: A wealthy, self-centered Toronto gentleman who initially seeks only comfort and social status. Confronted by his own cowardice and the harsh reality of war, he joins the military, loses an arm on the battlefield, and finds redemption by caring for a fallen comrade's family.
• Lawrence Craighouse: A proud American journalist and satirist who aims to mock English traditions for his New York readers. His sharp self-assurance crumbles as he witnesses the genuine grief and quiet fortitude of the British people, turning his cynicism into deep respect.
• Lady Dorothy: The daughter of an earl who rejects high-society privilege to serve as a V.A.D. nurse. She wants to contribute meaningfully to the war effort, ignoring class barriers to scrub floors and care for wounded soldiers, ultimately capturing Craighouse's heart.
• Pippa: A sixteen-year-old French girl living in a lonely Picardy mill-house, whose youthful innocence and poetic spirit prompt a brief, enchanting escape to London aboard an aeroplane.
• Private W. Waller: A brave Canadian soldier who risks his life in No Man's Land to rescue the wounded Montague, sacrificing himself so his comrade might survive.

In Its Own Voice

"The picture we saw just now," he said, "is my conception of England--the real England of noble mothers and noble sons."

In a quiet moment on Christmas morning, Basil Norman reflects on the silent sacrifices woven throughout the nation during wartime.

"Sylvester," he said listlessly, "for a long time you have ministered to my body. What can you do for a soul that is starving?"

Disturbed by news of heavy casualties at the front, Dennis Montague realizes the emptiness of his luxurious lifestyle.

"If he would make the mothers of England a study for satire, first he should mock the woman at the foot of the Cross, for her love and their love, her grief and their grief, are one."

In his final letter, Lawrence Craighouse rejects his original assignment to mock a grieving country, offering a solemn tribute instead.

What It's Really About

Beneath its narrative charm, the book explores how global catastrophe shatters human vanity and forces individuals to find their true moral center. It contrasts superficial social posturing with authentic, sacrificial love. Through characters who are physically broken or stripped of their cynical illusions, the stories argue that true nobility is found not in rank, wealth, or robust health, but in the quiet courage to endure suffering and extend kindness to others. The narrative continually questions what gives life value when faced with mortality, finding its answers in music, selflessness, and the unexpected bonds forged between strangers during times of deep national and personal crisis.

Why Read It Today

This collection offers an atmospheric, emotionally grounded glimpse into the human side of the First World War, capturing the immediate mood of the era with sincerity rather than modern hindsight. Readers who appreciate character-driven historical fiction, emotional redemption arcs, and classic early 20th-century storytelling will find much to admire.

The prose moves fluidly between light, conversational wit and poignant reflection, painting vivid scenes of wartime London, Canadian cities, and the quiet countryside of France. While modern readers may find the earnest sentimentality and early 1900s social attitudes distinct to its era, these elements reflect the genuine emotional landscape of the period. Dialect variations—such as the phonetic rendering of cockney speech and French-Canadian phrasing—add period authenticity without obstructing the narrative rhythm. It remains a touching, memorable reading experience that honors the resilience of the human heart amid widespread tragedy.