Evening star., 1934-06-06
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
THE GINGER GRIFFIN. By Ann
Bridge, author of "Peking Picnic" 4"
New York: Little, Brown 81 Co.
Margaret Cermond.

NeW fOrK. Llttle, Brown & 20.
Some day maybe mothers will add
to the knowledge which modern
science has provided for their guild
ance in the care of their children
in their early years a greater wis
dom in the very fine art of educating
their daughters to meet, square
shouldered and unafraid, the innum-
cradle situations which young woman
hood encounters, and to learn from
each problem a lesson in spiritual
strength and courage. There is nc
merit in the threadbare belief that
young girl of refinement and cul-
ture should be kept ignorant of the
ways Of the world. Any one who has
devoted serious thought to the matter
cannot do otherwise than admit that
there Is nothing to be said in favor
of the prevailing standard of train
ing, which SO narrowly confines the
borders Of decorum that when the
first contact with an unknown guam
tity is made a perfectly normal and
intelligent girl fees to the shelter of
her own room to hide from others
the agony caused by her unfounded
belief that she is deficient in some one
Of the vital elements of character.
Amber Harrison, the pathetically
sincere red-haired centerpiece of this
intensely interesting novel, fees not
only to that sanctuary in her beauti-
full home in England, but to China
The whole of England is too small
to screen the terrible ache in her
heart, for she has fallen in love with
the wrong man.
There is nothing abnormal in fall
ing in love with any one, but Amber
has all of the unsound theory OF
training and none Of the common
sense required to make an honest
appraisal Of her unhappiness, so she
packs up her broken heart along with
her luggage and gees half way around
the world to seek forgetfulness.
Sensitive, trustful and highly sus-
ceptible to the influence of beauty
Amber absorbS China as a thirsty
flower drinks the evening dew. Under
the kindly guidance of Nugent anc
Joana Grant-Howard she enters into
the pleasures of the social life o1
official foreigners in Peking and learn;
to her delight that the chief recrea.
ton of these isolated Representatives
of other lands is riding and racing
horses. This is world in which
she feels safe and at home, and hel
knowledge of horses and the art OF
riding them makes her Immediately
popular.
After a while the pain in her heart
grows less acute, but all of the deter
mination she has set herself to prac-
tice fails TO prevent her from falling
in love again. An artist at heart, G
poet by profession and a realist BY
pretension, the young man who wins
her devotion finds in Amber an idea
companion on which to vent the vio-
lence of his erratic moods. His love
of beauty and his pleasure in reveal.
ing to her the exquisite treasures of q
once majestic nation overcome hel
doubt of his stability and of the queer
streak in his temperament which
makes him dislike horses. Knowing
that she loves him Fundamentally III
gratif1es his contemptibly ignoblt
vanity by picking her mind and ther
transferring his attentions to newer
arrival in the legation compound.
Meanwhile, Amber has purchased
two griffins, and is devoting much O.
her time to their training for th'
great racing event of the year, miss
ing Rupert's company terribly, bu
excusing him on the ground Of hi.
dislike for horses and on any othel
ground which, woman like, she car
manufacture for his failure to be in
terested in her success. She is 81
sure that this time she has lovec
safely and that she is secure in hi
love that the blow is even more ter
rible than the one which drove he
from England.
The sound and beautiful philosoph,
of Nugent Grant-Howard, which run
continuously through the story, woult
have been of incalculable value T.
Amber had she possessed little NOR
knowledge of herself and of life. Blu
wisdom comes slowly to those VIII
are not adequately prepared to receiv
1t. One year after Amber had rul
away from England to forget tn
agonieS of her first love she wa
running away from China to nurs
the second heart breaking experienc
. OF bestowing her devotion upon tn
wrong man. Many months 60 by be
fore she realizes that Nugent's theo
r1es about life are right; that Low.
which does not lead to marriage
mot mistake; that it is only through
loving people that spiritual growth
can be attained and the full enjoy
ment of life experienced.
In 1882 Miss Bridges "Pekinl
Picnic" won the Atlantic $1,000
Prize Novel Contest 1t was a frs
novel, and SO distinguished an achieve
ment that it was the unanimou
choice of the judges. 1t was a bril-
liant piece of work, and this secons
novel is no less SO. Every phase O
life in Peking is presented with 6
vivid appraisal of human values IL
an alien land, and all of the magnifi
cent glory that once was the pride O
the great Oriental capital, as agains
the gaunt and ugly skeleton int
which the celestial empire has de.
Perforated. lives again in the fasci
mating pages of this story of compel
ling interest and genuine beauty O
thought and wisdom.
y X
ROAMING AMERICAN PLAY
GROUNDS. By John T. Faris. Ney
York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc.
A new work by John T. Faris whicl
, should become Immediately popular i
/ this volume, which covers the play
, grounds and the vacation places O
, the entire possessions of the Unitet
States. The gorgeous Towering o
, June under the rays of the steadil
warming days of the early Summe
sun sends thoughts flying toward tn,
possibility of trips and excursions II
. far and near locations of rest an,
enjoyment, and one glimpse into tn,
! contents of this delightful book
. enough to give even the confirmed
, stay-at-homes an Unsuitable desire t.
: wander.
Every State in the Union and all o
the island possessions hold attraction
which are unknown to most travellers
and indeed to many natives who hav
never roamed beyond their immediat,
surroundings. A storehouse of knowl
,, edge about ones own community