Evening star., 1937-08-19
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
SUNSET AT NOON BY Ruth Feiner.
Philadelphia J. B. LiDpincott Co.
BY MARGARET GERMOND.


Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co.
1t was to be expected that Ruth Feiner,
whose talent as writer sent her first
novel blazing across the fictional sky as
a best seller, would eventually turn out
story based upon her own extraordi-
nary career in an age more notable for
its turmoil and revolution than for it's
tolerance and good will. Those women
in this country who survived the era of
unfrlendliness toward economic inde-
pendence for the female of the species
will be reminded of many instances of
their own struggles, though they happily
were not condemned to exile as well as
oStraciSm.
Had Miss Feiner been born few min
uteS sooner she would have been British
subject, and perhaps have been spared
some of the loneliness and hardship of
exile. She was, however, born in Ger
many shortly after the English steamer
on which her parents were travelling from
London disemparked it's passengers Being
the child of distinguished actor, play
wright and producer, she grew to young
womanhood literally saturated with
knowledge of the stage. At seventeen she
became secretary to an editor and began
writing short sen-feature articles and to
| compose songs She won prize for sing
| ing her own songs in a cabaret, and soon
| afterWard was engaged to write songs for
| film corporation. Berlin and Cologne
| radio studios presented her in entertain
| ment programs, and her songs were popu-
larized by cabaret artists throughout Ger
| many.
Then came the reign of persecution and
| Miss Felner was compelled to leave the
| country. She went to London where
| poverty was her most intimate companion
| and where, despite hunger and hardship
| and occasional odd jobs. she produced
Cat Across the Path" Her second book,
Fires in May" presented a graphic.
compelling picture of the life of a lonely
| refugee in England. The solid structure
| of both books was nodded from her deep
rooted knowledge Of the stage and its
artists. Sunset at Noon is equally SUBJ
| stantal in foundation and in structure.
The efforts of women of the Old World
| to beat down the prejudice against eco
nomic independence lags nearly a gen.
| Grafton behind the era which witnessed
| the same struggle in the United States.
| Prejudice and antagoniSm slowed every
! inch of the long, hard way toward pro-
gresSive unity in the working world until
| the Great War crashed the barriers Of
misunderstanding. The war somehow
made it noble for woman to engage in
gainful occupation.
Miss Feiner'S career heroine battles her
way to economic freedom in Europe dur
ing the years which in this country gave
to women the privilege of succeeding in
the business and professional world on
their own merits. Faced now with the
new problem Of an influx Of unqualified
| plum -pCkers, American women are MAX
ing ready to engage in another struggle
to regain the privilege of achievement on
merit, which places them two leaps ahead
of the courageous young orphan Of Vienna
who set out with empty hands and
pockets to conquer the everyday world
and to win for herself the fame which
was never attained by her inadequately
equipped father.
Preferring death to the medlocrity of
| a second fddler's Job at the Vienna State
| Opera House, Ferdinand Flemming COM
| mits suicide and leaves his small daugh-
| ter to look out for herself. His brother,
a wealthy bachelor, takes StanZi-short
| for Constantine-under his queStionably
| paternal wing with the idea Of turning
| her into an attractive and marriageable
| young lady. She is still quite young when
| her uncle decides to marry, and with the
| arrival of Irene the whole pattern of life
undergoes change. Stanzi stands it as
| long as possible and then asks for and is
| given Job in her unce's automobile fac
| tory A love affair with a handsome cleo
| trician employed in the plant causes a
| rift, and Stanzi leaves home to live on
her small savings until opportunity bids
| her enter the doors of fame
Keeping alive proves to be a serious
| matter. Through the friendship of Dita
| Barns, schoolmate, Stanzi succeeds in
| obtaining numerous insignificant jobs at
| small pay, while in her spare time she
works at writing a novel. She likes to
! write" and in addition to her novel she
| tries her luck with short articles for the
| consumption Of magazine readers. Her
material goes over and eventually the
name Constantine is accorded place
in the field of journalism. The stage and
| film world attracts her, so she plungeS
| into motion picture venture which
| leads to another rung on the ladder OF
| success.
| But during the process of becoming
| famous Stanzi meets Professor Hartog,
| critic who mvsteriouslv hides behind
! the signature "Horg' and who has on
| numerous occasions infuriated Stanzl by
his caustic comments on her articles.
| Professor Hartog and Stanzi become
| friends, while Constantine and Horg con-
| tinue to be enemies without knowledge
! of the identities which lie behind those
! unrevealing signatures.
Stanzi's progress in the professional
| world brings her into ASSOCIATION With
| many interesting and unusual people.
| She is an engaging though not eXcep-
| tionally beautiful young woman, attrac-
| tive to men and intensely loyal to the few
! women who win her sympathy and aHec-
ton. She is imposed upon by those who
accept her help as well as by those to
| whom she gives sincere friendship. She
| is distinctly feminist and an ardent
advocate of philosophy based upon in
disputable fact rather than upon emo
| tionalism and sentimentalicy.
| Hartoz holds the fort on the opposite
| side of the fence. He has no use for eco
nomically independent women. He is not
| a woman-hater, but disastrous marital
| adventure with career woman more
| firmly convinces him that q woman is a
| creature in need of protection and tender