The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-30
A REVIEW BY AJC.

"a RI<t La w u <AJSs
/ 1t would never do to tell you the
story of William Allen Whites latest
book I'm the Heart of a Fool" To
chronicle the main events Of the EN-
poria editors masterpiece in fiction
would spoil for the reader the fasci-
mating uncertainty of the outcome OF
this truly great novel.
So beware, ye inquisitive and rest
less women who always are accused
of peeking into the last chapters to
see il, they live happy ever after
You may note that we speak Of this
truly great novel; We don't say this
because, as a kansan and as brother
in the newspaper fraternity, we have
a natural pride in Bill Whites work.
We say it in all sincerity and in genu-
inc belief. We must admit that after
reading thirty or more chapters we
longed to turn to the Court of Boy
vile" and relieve our mind of some
of the burdens that the author had
piled up in the course of his tale of
the life in Harvey. The story Is so
true to life, SO human in treatment,
SO devoid of all fictional varnish, that
you find yourself entangled in the
exents-scrambled. as it were, in the
trials and tribulations of the hero and
heroine. Then there appears the
tiny light at the end OF the tunnel and
the reader is carried along almost bod
lily by the keen philosophy of this ma
tion-known Kansas author.
"In the Heart of Fool' is not a
book for children. 1t is not book
for romantic high school girls who
may wish to slip it in among their
strap full of texts for glorious diver
sion. It is a book for thinking men
and women, a book that treats almost
brazenly and still fearlessly the do
nestle, the political, the economic and
hnA nh ~ ne n
present day. 1t is not q book to be
read at a few sittings. 1t must be
absorbed slowly and thoughtfully. 1t
is frightened in every chapter with
the homely and honest humor of three
or four generations of early settlers in
| middle western state.
Don't gather from these statements
that Whites book drags or breaches
or chastises or admonishes. Far from
that. Its characters are too red
blooded, its series of climaxes are too
thrilling, its developments are almost
breathless. And with it all it deals
with retribution and sociology and
pathology and psycholOgy-and in a
language and a vernacular and q man
ner that is captivating.
The publishers, the Macmillans. say
| the scene is laid in Kansas. Whites
characters are of the Kansas spirit,
| the Kansas ideals, the Kansas vision.
The prairies are typical of Kansas.
The seasons are Kansas-the sky. the
| winds. the extremes, the clouds and
all. Even the politics scents of some
| Of the stories that undoubtedly in years
| gone by have been peddled to William
Allen Whites door in Emporia. But
the cosmopolitan drudgery. the open
| saloon. the city life does not deal with
Kansas as "she is known
| Therefore, out-of-state readers, do
| not associate Kansas altogether with
| h. tnA
in Harvey.
| Briefly. "In the Heart of FooP'
deals with men and women who anne
west after the Civil war and settled in
a community which afterwsrd was
known as Harvey townsite. The fool
could have been any one Of probably
a half dozen characters. They were
Just common fools-even as you and 1.
There was an editor Gall editors are
supposed to be so classed), and his
son. a doctor and his daughter. a POM
pous lawyer with sensuous lips, olive
skin and an undying love for women
There was the pretty school teacher
who loved unwisely but we'll. There
was another girl-she loved unwisely
and unscrupulously. Still another
she loved unwisely and unfortunate
l}y. Then there was the town gossip
a gay she-sage. In the wake of these
leading characters the author brings
out in most interesting array the towns
tpeople-mostly lovab1e and enhancing
characters.
The book has two distinctive thrill
ers." Whites chapters dealing with
the political convention and the labor
strike are alive with action. emotional
ard gripping.
The Emporia editors wonderful in.
lsight into human nature is seen thru
fout the novel. No character seem.