The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-09

in fire and had to write them all over again?
 Zane Grey had to hire printer to print his first book and it is still selling more and more each year?
 Harold Bell Wright had his first book censored by the editor because the public does not like to see such things as drunken men staggering?
 Irwin S. Cobb started out in life as an Illustrator and cartoonist and had his pictures published in Texas Siftings?"
 These are only few of the 125 American Authors who give their ex- periences in My Maiden Effort"
 1.-THE GIRLS"
 By Edna Ferber. Doubleday, Page
 and Company, Publishers, Garden
 City, New York.
 Chicago of the 1S5os in the days of hoop skirts before the Civil war, Chicago in the late sos and the new city of 1920. this is the setting of "The Girls" It is the story of three generations, grand-aunt Charlotte who was thwarted and governed by her family, Aunt Lottie struggling between her sense of duty to her mother and her efforts to live her own life, and Charlie who achieves the freedom of the modern girl. Nor are the men negligible. Jesse Dick the first, Charlotte's unhappy lover, separated from her by her implacabie family, joined the union forces of the Civil war and never returned, Jesse Dick the second, the young poet 4t i-. Ao dali aa Q G. sen shop in Chicago, found his plans for a little hut in the forest with Charley rudely set aside by na- ticn's plan of war. He too paid the supreme sacrifice. And Robert, an Elusive, triumphant figure, fur nishes the climax to Lottie's sup pressed life.
 Edna Ferber has made such high place of herself in the literature of the short story that she has had very perceptible influence upon the development of the art Her Emma McChesney stories, Cheerful by Request" and Half Portions are distinctive achievements in story telling art. In "The Girls" Miss Fer Ter has shown that she Is equaiiy powerful as a novelist. Miss Lane, the editor of the Woman's Home Companion, says that 1t will rank with the greatest American books or the year.
 a"MARJoRY's HOUSE PARTY" Rv Alice E. Allen. Illustrated. The
 Page Company, Publishers, Boston.
 The widespread circle of admirers of the little people in the previous volumes in the Marjory-Joe Series will welcome this newest story by this gifted juvenile author, renew old acouaintances and make few new ones, enjoying with them th 1T de- lightful house party at Clover Patch.
 The story is full of surprises and good times, such as the day when Fritz guides them through blizzard to tiny house in the valley where a dear old lady welcomes the whole party. An ideal story in every way. FAMOUS LEADERS OF INDUSTRY" (Second Series) By Edwin Wildman.
 Illustrated. The Page Company.
 Publishers, Boston.
 The recognition by prominent edu- cators of the value of the first vol ume of Famous Leaders of Industry has been so universal that a second series of life stories of some of the greatest industrial leaders-makers of America-has been prepared, which gives promise of attaining the same degree of praise from educA- tors and young readers alike.
 In compiling the individual accounts. the author has not only sifted his facts with great care. but he has received the direct aid of accurate data from many of the Captains of Industry themselves. The list of industries is wide and representative one, in- cluding steel. mining, food adminis- tration. mining engineering, fire arms railroads, finance, drugs, mail order business, oil production. hotels. sleeping cars, baseball, canal build ing. etc.. forming a book that con- tains world of valuable ideas for progress and success, and one repre- senting the essence of the experience of Americas most successful men.
 Among the many leaders whose