Evening star., 1934-04-04
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.

Five TO Nine" etc. Philadelphia:
| The Penn Publishing Co.
A Washington woman with three
exceptionally fine novels already to
her credit has again come to the
front with a substantial and convinc-
ing story covering the four economi-
cally dark and gloomy years since the
Fall Of 1929.
Books, Just like architecture. fur
niture and all of the what-nots Of
both major and minor character, fall
naturally into line with the trend Of
the times and eventually. provided
they survive long enough, come to be
identified as period" products. In
recent months American fctionists
have found an abundance Of inspira-
ton In the transformed conditions of
life in this country following the COL
lapse of business, and during the next
few years there will undoubtedly be
scores Of novels OF this character,
some few of which will be given per-
manent recognition by the annalists as
worthy ref1ectors of the depression
period" style of American literature.
A goodly number of the depression
novels have sounded bitter note, and
few have been constructed on foun-
dation of satire. But there have also
been some noteworthy Straightforward
narratives, picturing the intensely
human reactions of lifelike characters
to the plunge from the heights of
prosperity into the depths of financial
despair. These latter are the stories
which will linger longest in the men,
ory of readers, and 1t is of such sub
stantial material as this that Miss
Wilson has constructed her new novel.
On that terribly fateful afternoon
Of October "a, 1929, four women who
had been more or less cheerfully per-
forming their civic duty of occupy
jng a benefit bridge table parted
company and went their separate
ways. AS unlike as any quartet Of
humans could be, each one went of
to her own particular pleasure OF
duty, carrying along her own particu-
lar thoughts about the three others.
BY dinner time all four were to learn
that the stock market had gone into
d corkscrew turn and started the
world on a plunge into a psy-turvy
spin.
News Of the panic in Wall Street.
CLEANED from a hasty glance at the
newspaper headlines, caused Sue Page
to suffer but a few moments of un-
easiness. The busiest, most compe-
tent and most efficient wife, mother,
houSekeeper and civic worker, and the
most attractive, clever and wonderful
woman in the community, Sues or
dered plan of life and time granted
but little space to be devoted to the
f1urries and bumps of the market
Ted was, of course, rather heavily in
the market. and he had made for
tune on paper. If the crash was
genuine, the losses would also be on
paper.
1t was from another viewpoint that
Leila Somers considered the news of
the day. Already divorced from q
husband who did not fit in with her
scheme Of luxury. she was seriously
considering campaign to win Ted
Pages devotion, wheedle him into di-
vorce from Sue and marry him her
self. II he should be financially
ruined she must find some one else
The news to Olivia Hirst was dis
tinct blow, for although she had been
for some years successful business
woman, her engagement to Jim
Claiborne had already been PROLONGED
almost to the breaking point because
Jim was one of those unfortunate men
who had never been able to forge
ahead. A real collapse Of business
meant disaster to Jim, which in turn
spelled more years of weary waiting
for the man Olivia loved.
Pauline Kinsey was also a business
woman, but for a reason which no one
except herself and her devoted hus-
band understood. To this pair the
crash meant pulling a little harder
and enduring a few more personal
sacrifices, which they set about ac-
complishing with willing hearts and
stout courage.
Around these four major characters
the husbands and sweethearts and the
children Of Sue and Ted Page revolve
in pattern Of clear-cut design, inter-
laced with the delicate threads of too
much efficiency, the tenacious silken
tentacles Of q designing woman, the
fllmy fabric Of false pride and the
sturdy ties Of eternal wisdom, upon
which human love depends. The
author has produced q story which
breathes freely of the high courage
and unshakable faith which are fun
damentals Of American character.
Miss Wilson was born in Raleigh,
N. c. She is the daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Peter M. Wilson and came
to Washington with them at an early
age when her father became a MEM
Der of the official stan of the United
States Senate. She has spent the
major part Of her life as q resident
of this city and is graduate of West
ern High School In addition to her
novels she has been a regular con-
tributor to the popular magazines for
several years.
SUNWARD. BY Tom Sweeney, au-
thor Of Horizon Frames New
York: G. p. Putnams Sons.
1t will be something of q home.
coming column today, for here Is
another volume by Washington au-
thor. whose earlier book of verse
brought admirable comments from all
sources.
This, too, is poetic in its makeup,
but 1t Is Of a most unusual character.
1t Is compiled in four distinct parts,
and in each quarter it portrays and
in a sense dramatizes one of the
phases Of the development of the
human race. The following fore
word" gives a constructive and beau
tiful Interpretation of the concept
OF the entire theme:
Philosophy and science grew from
seeds
Which mystery produced and reason
bred.
Their hardy roots and tangled
| branches spread
To blossom into countless laws and
creeds.
My brush presumes to use their vivid
blends
And sketch scene, on canvas made
Of rhyme.
To show how man has left his native