The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-07-28
BY WALTER ID. HICKMAN

IT seems that woman can do what
Il she pleases as long as she has
brains. nerve. determination and an
understanding of life.
That was my thought when ]
turned the last pages of Congo
Solo by Emily Hahn. Just published
by the BObbs- Merrill Company OF
this city.
Here is a sort of female mod
ern Crusoe. who was not ship
wrecked. but who went alone third
class from London into the middle
Of darkest Africa.
Congo Solo" is a diary of the
miSadyentures of a modern woman
in the Congo region of Africa. Here
is the most refreshing and human
story of what a person saw. hearc
and experienced in that strange
land which / have read
1t sees to me that Miss Hair
went to Africa. saw and felt Africa
a good deal like the way l imagin,
Mae West would make the trip.
In other words. Miss Hahn ha'
mentally photographed and repro.
duced Africa into modern Ian
guage. Some of her expression,
are so hot that I wanted to vel
Fire" but underneath everything
she writes is a gigantic understand.
ing of life. even in Africa
She makes you feel that YOU are
going to look in upon her adven-
lures so candid is her recital. You Sc,
her in dramatic and sad mood a!
she delivers Christmas presents t
her friends in London. the day be
fore she was TO start third class Il
Africa.
You meet in London her unusua
modern friends FlosSie and he
latest flame-the Worst man il
London: an American lady in
peacock hat. blond man witt
glasses and Rosa. Even in thi
strange assortment of friends. vol
have the bunch that Emily can tax
care of herself. even while she j
crying. for no reason at all. ex
cept that she is woman. on til,
shoulder of the Worst Man in Lon
don.
When Emily gets into her thirC
class bunk on the boat. vol
recognize at once the Mae Yves
observations of life
She had two meals a day as Sh,
puts it-"not counting morning cot.
fee in pajamaS. AlSo-'The NOR,
time l spend here the more in.
dignant l am with all the English
people who raised hell at my com.
ing this
Emily on this trip learned how Z
cut bread properly and staged ;
drinking bout with one of the mer
on the ship. The ship didn't sinE
and neither did Emily
I nearly landed out OF my chair
when she relates that a red-headeC
man on the boat presented her witl
"a cigarette picture of a very bare
very white fat lady. which ! hav,
sent of 10 Mother"
With extreme candor. she tell
how she was nearly prevented from
landing in Africa by the authorize
on the ancient grounds that becausl
she was unescorted she might be
street walker
Every second this writer is reg
istering human reactions to life.
is spice. but 1t is life Always re
member that she is not writing
novel. but daily recording her ex
perienceS. conversations and the lik
IN Africa Remember she is uni
versity graduate and yet her style o
writing IS simple. plain and direct
She can capture the beauty OF tn
forests and the rivers as easily as Shl
tells the horrors of nearly meetinl
death in the river.
EmilyS Friday is DR.. Den Murra'
in charge Of a medical post deep il
the Congo jungle Her experience
AZ this post with her friend. tn
doctor. are the most amazing I eve
have read.
She becomes a sort of an assist
ant TO Den. helps him dig out tn,
jiggers from the sore feet OF Matope
a five-year native boy. She sees Al
old native woman die and helps in
ject HUNDREDS OF natives on injec
ton days.
Here is story Of persona
bravery. A fight against death anS
disease. all recorded on a might,
hot but honest typewriter.
She and the doctor have all kind
of quarrelS Both blame il on tn
climate. She becomes a great lrient
of a chimpanzee who delights in bit
inc her superiorS.
The author has caught the Strang,
spell OF the natives and YOU learr
that the sewing machine has beer
introduced into Africa but Oh,
women Will not use il.
A sort OF God-given person visit
the districts and do the sewing
Native African women are 9end
over clothes.
There is so much 10 this book
She has caught the grand and vile
theater of travel. II IS a master
piece
II you read only one so calleS
travel book year. be sure and reas
Congo Solo" 1t sells for s2.75.