The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-19
NEW BOOKS

s &, s.. & + .
BARBARA. "A WOMAN OF THE WEST. By
z John H. Whitson,. illustrated. Boston: Lit
tie, Brown g. Co. Price 1.5O.
1t has been said by some that the day Of
historical romances is waning, but they
continue to appear and, if writers in that
field would all write as attractfvely as Mr..
Wilson, there would be no languishing in
the demand. In the first part of this story
the reader is introduced to that courtly
seeker OF adventure, Robert Cavelier.
Sieur de Ia Sale, and his distinguished
friend and helper Henri de Tonti, the con-
spicuous characters in the book besides
Renee, the Rose of Norm andy, loved by
Tonti,, in her helplessness and won thru
storm and stress in the western wilds by
his faithfuiness.. At that period New
France was sought by adventurous
sFrenchmen, noble and Of the masses.
especially by those who had experienced
the Sights and cruelties Of Colbert, the
grand monarch's minister of state. Tonti
was one OF these as was La Sale. And
then, after his self Imposed exile and loyal
activity for the king, having won the
beautiful Renee after a good, brave fight,
he received great renown in titles and
privileges from the king, but he preferred
remaining IN New France, the scene Of his
heroic labors as it was the scene of his
conquest of the Rose of Normandy, to go
ing back sto a prof1igate court with its
!
troduce: such a sweet fair flower as Renee
in the Wilds of New France where there
was peril from the Indians and intrigues
and mischief on the part of those who
should have been. the girls friends Ton
tbs sloye ran against many snags and he
deserved his reward. A nobler heroine
than Renee d outrelaise was never por-
trayed. - IS :. SO !.
DURRELL OF THE BLESSED ISLES. By Irv-
ing Baeheller, author of 1sben Holden . etc!
Illustrated Boston: sLothrop Publishing
{ There is no orderly sequence in this
new story by Mr.. Bachelor. Trove, the
|sboy who gives point to the story, was
brought in a little red sleigh by the AL
lens dog to their home in.the woods of
the st, Lawrence river valley, wrapped in
a VOLTS skin Roderick Darrell appears iii
that region sometime after as a mender
OF clocks talking inaa picturesque orien-
tai way. as if he had, been reading the
Koran all his life. Between the senten-
tious and cheerful Darrell, and the boy
who had been adopted by the Aliens,
| there springs up a close intimacy and the
| mystery of Trove's origin and his delivery
ITO Aliens on the little red sleigh is
slowly developed with the connection
which the old clock mender had with the
affair. Interest," centers in Darrell and.
aside from him and Trove there are no
| other characters of vital Importance in
| the book. Darrell is study by himself:
bright enough, but he gets little tire
some Mr.. Bachelor contrives to intro
| duce Garfield, momentarily, as boy and
succeeds in being really humorous in tell
ing Of The Event in the. Rustic Museum .
The story is not Of as good quality as
either "Eben Holden or "D'ri and T."
a ROSE OF NORMANDY. By w. r. A. Wilson
Illustrated Boston: Little, Brown & Co
i This is a real American novel of con.
Esiderable; power. Is The local coloring is
| true, and the author has the dramatic in.
stinct and a. sense Of humor a!tho the
tragic dominates the story Roger kim.
Iberley and his wife Barbara are introduced
Iliving on ranch in western Kansas. They
Ientertain a prospector and nurse him thru
sickness and he being impecunious, gives
4 them some mining certificates issued or
/ Cripple Creek claims, in gratitude for tlei,
Kindness. Roger is interested and goes
to Cripple Creek, leaving his; wife for Z
| few days. as he thought. Years elapse
and Barbara marries another man. think
1 ing Roger was dead. But he wasn't. an6
turned up, having experienced a blottine
out of his memory and of a knowledge Of
his identity thru several years. The au.
thor contrives to carry Barbara thru this
perplexing contretemps with much in.
Ingenuity. This lady made. every effort
to find Roger Kimberley, and only became
1 a hopeful widow, as she thought wher
4 Rogers death was believed to be posi-.
/ tive fact. It is not. often that a woman
finds herself in such an uncomf Portable pre-.
i dicament as Barbara.