Make–Believe was a collection of eight short stories about the du Frocq family, set on the Island (based on Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, where Goudge’s mother was born and grew up) in the closing years of the nineteenth century. Originally published in different anthologies, they were collected together in one volume in 1949. With these short stories, we have two extra short stories, also featuring the du Frocq family, ‘The Governor’s Garden Party’ and ‘The Birthday Party’, both only published in magazines around 1937—1940.
The du Frocq family consist of four girls and a boy, their father and mother and their pet animals and the stories are told with that engaging blend of charm and humour of which Elizabeth Goudge is so practised a master.
John Gough, who discovered ‘The Governor’s Garden Party’ and ‘The Birthday Party’ and who is a real Elizabeth Goudge expert, will be writing our introduction to Make-Believe.
The short stories in the GGBP edition of Make-Believe will be
Make-Believe
The Well of Saint George
Rescue on the Island
The New Moon
Picnic with Albert
Doing Good
The Foresters’ Ride
Midnight in the Stable
The Governor’s Garden Party
The Birthday Party
(added to website 24 April 2026)
