Evening star., 1933-04-04
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
NJ. G..

TUNCHI. BY Carl Liddle and David
Thibault. New York: The Cen
tury Co.
surviving two years Of playing hide
and seek with death among the famous
head-hunting tribes Of Indians in the
Or1ente country, Carl Liddle, former re-
porter on the New York World, turns
again to his profession and in colorful
and dramatic style relates his adven-
lures in the wilds of Ecuador.
Falling heir to a legacy which en-
apled him to crafty an ambition to
embark upon a career of vagabonding
IN South America, with Chile as the
land of his choice, he set sail. But,
after listening on board ship to de-
scriptions by fellow passengers of tales
concerning the upper Amazon country.
ne changed his plans and went instead
INTO the JungleS Of Ecuador, inhabited
by the head-hunting Shuaras and other
tribes of Indians, as we'll as a few
Spaniards and many half-breeds. That
he made the most of his adventure is
witnessed by the remarkable collection
OF trophies-including ceremonial gar
ments, weapons, jewels, musical instru-
ments and the formula and equipment
employed in reducing into articles of
personal adornment the highly coveted
heads Of humans slain in battle-which
he presented to the American Museum
of Natural History on his return to New
York in 1925
This almost impenetrable jungle ter
rltory, which has been aptly termed
the green hell' of South America. is
land Of bloody wars, witchcraft and
strange gods, land from which no
white man who entered has ever be-
lore been known to emerge The title
OF the story, 'Tunchi," is itself the
Shuara word meaning witchcraft. It is
also the name given by the author to
MS heroine, who was regarded as the
great "chuahua," or the super -seeress
of her people.
All OF the ceremoni- rites witnessed
by Mr. Liddle-the famous tsantsa
flesta,' the dances, the fantastic and
weird rituals Of marriage, of birth and
OF purlal, OF preparation for war and
the clamorous and deafening celebra-
tlons OF victory-are accurately and
vlvldly described, as well as the domes-
TIC customs of these strange people.
Tunchi" Is not strictly either a novel
or travel book, but is an excellent
combination of both. The decision of
the co-authors to relate the story in
novel form was undoubtedly wise, for it
combines an impressive and interesting
account OF two years of observation and
experience in an unknown country
with love story as exquisitely beauti-
1ul and appealing as TJlnchi herself
exotic, courageous and worthy not only
OF the alteration bestowed upon her by
her own people, but also the love Of
the nero OF this colorful story.
n
man, traveller and an editor, and
served also as a publicity representa-
tive OF the Grand Duchess Marie. Mr..
Thibault is also a newspaper man and
a prolific writer of short stories. The
collaboration was happy one for the
production Of "Tunchi."
X
WHEAT WOMEN. BY Nard Jones
New York: Duffield g. Green.
A story depicting the lives Of the
stalWart men and women who Joined
the caravans of covered wagons, bray-
Ing the terrors of famine, Indians and
the elements and charting a course
westward over the vast plains to seek
fortune In the uncfvilized and unculti-
vated region Of the great Northwest,
is always a source of interest and en-
tertainment, especially so when the au-
thor has lived in the country about
Whlch ne writes and whose ancestors
were among the pioneers. Nard Jones
is one OF these. his forbears having
teen pioneers in the rich wheat lands
OF Eastern Oregon and Washington and
himself having toiled for ten years as a
wheat farmer in the fertile soil of that
region. His novel, therefore, rings with
the truth of experience and with love
for the section and the people who
conquered it.
= True to its title, this story is not SO
much about wheat as about the men
who through three generations, have
grown and marketed the golden grain
ana about the women whose labor, sac
r1fice and fidelity is unequaled in the
history Of American development.
Ihlrty wagons comprised the party
facing westward toward what they be-
neved to be rich mining territory
Farmlng was not the occupation in
which they expected to engage. They
sought gold, little dreaming that the
richness OF their find would be in the
golden grain which grew from the soil
ana not the yellow metal dug from II
with pick End shovel. OF the thirty
families which set out so courageously
less than four wagons, bearing but
fourteen souls, came to rest at Inland
City, and Of these Jackson Lynch. hard.
merclless and cruel, was the leader.
The burden of this novel is cast with
the wives of the Lynches-first with
Anna, wife Of Jackson, and Cora, wife
OF Jackson's son, and then with Julie
second wife Of Todd Lynch Both Anna
and Cora are typical Of those earlier
women. toiling day and night with ano
Tor their men, knowing nothing of COM
fort. nothing of amusement and little
OF love. When Cora dies and Julie
Craig, young and pretty, becomes the
pride, OF wealthy, sixty-year- ar-old Todd
Lynch, new era begins. The pioneer
Gays are over and the story turns mod
ern, With Julie. demanding comfort, ex-
travagance, freedom and alteration.
holding the center of the stage.
PENG WEES HARVEST. By Louise
Jordon Min, author of Rice" etc.
New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co.
Peng Wee is lovable and bewitching
Chinese girl of noble birth who has come
to America to acquire an education in
an exclusive New England school for
girls. She Is proficient and cultured be-
yond all of her associates in Warren" +"
She is admired by every one and loved
by most of her fellow students.
Helen Conway is an American girl,
born in Omaha, the spoiled and only
child of wealthy and adoring father.
She Is arrogant, selfish and Indifferent,
as unlovable as she Is unloving, and,
worst of all, an unmitigated snob.
She also goes to Warren" not to &C
quire an education or anything, but
purely because she Is bored and wants
to go somewhere.
Shortly after her enrolment Helen
Conway is attracted by the unusual
beauty of Peng Wee, but when upon in
quiry she learns that the girl is Chinese
she rebels against the mixing Of races In
the school and determines to keep as far
away from Peng Wee as possible. Peng
Wee, on the other hand, is attracted to
the American girl through unusual cir
and she offers her friendship
and her love. Being sophomore, Peng