Evening star., 1937-05-12
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.
CANDLE IN THE SUN. BY Edith
Roberts. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-

CANDLE IN THE SUN. BY Edith
Roberts. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-
Merrill Co.
On beautiful, sunny Saturday morn
ing in June five people directly and
whole island full of people indirectly
begin the new day in various degrees Of
stress induced by the more or less violent
reactions resulting from severe shock.
And the cause of all the mental and
emotional upheaval that reaches from
New England to the tropics is an Amer
lean girl not yet out OF college.
DR.. and Mrs. Charles Carpenter, the
former an eminent archeologist, while
making plans to attend the graduation
from Wellesley of their only child, receive
a telegram announcing her marriage to
Spaniard. With typical New England
calm and dignity the Carpenters bear
the deep hurt inflicted by their daugh-
ter's rash act. But quite a different
scene takes place on the island in the
West Indies when the cablegram bear
ing the news that the son of Don Sancho
has married an American reaches Dona
Conception, mother of the newly married
young man. That highly emotional per-
sonage-and parsonage she is-thrives
upon occasions that warrant display
of hysteria, and when Dona Conception
has an "ataque" the entire population of
the island gathers near the big old house
to enjoy the spectacle.
Doubt, fear and happiness mingle in
the mind of Avery Carpenter. She is
about to graduate. She knows that she
has wounded her parents. She wonders
about this handsome, ardent young
man whose family is so prominently
identified with political affairs in the
island. She is in love. She is thrilled
with her new title of Sonora Herman de
Colon and it has not occurred to her
that life in strange land among
strange people may not prove to be
paradise of eternal romance.
Herman knows that his marriage to an
American girl is dangerous to his pro-
fessional and political welfare when he
returns to his people, but he is tenn
porarily concerned only with his own
happiness In winning for himself a
radiant blond whose beauty and vivacity
have overwhelmed him.
Xxx
On the island Don Sancho is the local
cacique. For years he has headed the
party in opposition to American rule,
the party dedicated to the destruction
OF American governors. A new governor,
just appointed by the President of the
United States, sails for the island on
the same ship with Avery and Herman,
and it is shock to Avery to learn that
her husband and his family intend to
destroy DR.. Sargent even before they
know whether or not he would make a
good governor II given whole-hearted
support.
Instead Of the warm welcome and
kindly courtesy which Avery expects,
she is received with hostility, jealousy
and mistrust into family to which the
command of Dona Conception is law.
Ignorance, poverty, disease and po-
litical turmoil prevail throughout the
island to degree that shocks and dis
tresses the cultured sensibilities and
practical knowledge of the American
girl. Her sense Of justice and honor
prompts her to seek to support Governor
Sargent's program for improvement of
the social condition Of the islanders but
religious superstition and the political
principles of Don Sancho's party are
mightier than reason and the simple
rules of health. Religion and mother
hood are the sole creeds of the woman
hood OF the island, and to those creeds
Avery must conform as the wife of
Herman.
Disappointed in the domestic and po-
litical behavior of her husband and dis
heartened by the futility Of hope for the
poorer classes, for the success of the
governor and for home OF her own,
Avery is after a few months entirely
disillusioned and is ready to pack up and
return to the States. But her decision
is reached a bit too late to be carried into
effect. Within year child will be born
Rebellion against the futility of her
life and its ultimate course takes its toll
from her beauty and her health as dur
ing that first year on the island she
realizes that she can never cease to
struggle against the multiple problems
she adopted when she married man of
an alien race. Always she must battle
the contempt of her husbands family
for Americans. Constantly she is aware
Of the quickly famed jealousies of the
dark-skinned Spanish beauties aroused
by her blond loveliness. Religious perse-
cution and the serious complication Of
racial mixture as 1t patterns her own
existence, the infidelities of Herman and
the political crises into which his family
is periodically plunged create plenty Of
trouble, but do not make for very much
happiness or romance.
Xxx u
The story has its comedy as well as
It's tragedy to recommend it. There is
Jerry Monahan, master of entertain
ment and promoter of good fellowship
among passengers on the steamer bound
for the island, whose cheerful COM
| panionship bellies his incurable love for
| the girl who should have known better
than to marry an island Spaniard.
Tomas, one OF the countless descendants
of Christopher Columbus, is also one of
those rare souls who sense trouble long
before 1t arrives and seeks to pave the
way for the innocent and trusting Avery.
! And then there Is the inevitable Amer
ican colony OF bridge players for whom
life anywhere in the world Is bore
| unless it is accompanied by four chairs
| placed around card table.
For Maria, one OF her numerous
sisters-in-law, and for Rafael, the only
worth while brother-in-law in the huge
homestead, Avery develops warm friend
! ships. Maria, whose abnormal size is
due to slight physical affliction that
can be corrected by proper medical at
tention, is compelled by Dona Concep-
| cion to make "promesa" instead. Ra-
fael, who has studied medicine and wants