Books by Mabel Brookes

Mabel Balcombe Brookes (1890-1975), was born in Australia and brought up in a wealthy bookish household. Her great-grandfather had been William Balcombe, Napoleon's host at the Briars. In 1957 she visited St Helena, bought the Briars site, and later in a ceremony in Paris, she donated it to the French nation. Along with Longwood and the site of Napoleon's tomb, the Briars is now a mini-dominion of France on St Helena. Mabel Brookes wrote this book in 1960 and it was first published as St Helena Story.