Evening star., 1937-03-10
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.
A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS. BY
Ethel Hueston. Indianapolis: Bobbs-


Merrill Co.
In the list OF all but two dozen novels
which have come from the fertile tmaRi-
nation of Ethel Hueston, ample evidence
Is to be found in each one that this
popular author possesses q quality OF
understanding the human being rs an
individual with q problem which strikes
as deep into the heart Of mankind as
does the analytical search Of the more
profound explorer into the realm of
mans mental and emotional reaction to
the blessings and the adversities of life.
Light fiction is the descriptive definition
under which all Of these delightful stories
are properly classified, and yet, in each
one there has been some specific strength
OF character, some splendid display of
healthy, normal high courage, some out
standing example Of human nature at its
best that has kept alive refreshing
memory and has made each new book
by Ethel Hueston q welcome guest in
any home.
An Iowa family. hard hit by the de-
preston which stunned the people of
this country few years ago and through
which they are still staggering toward
some uncertain, fog -enshrouded goal. en-
cages the interest in this newest Hueston
novel, which. sounds more serious note
than usual. Twelve people living under
one roof are as happy, as interesting, as
different in temperament, as typical as
any dozen Of average Americans could
possibly be. And then comes the great
change OF scene. The average American
family Is the victim of crushing, un-
seen power, is faced with the appalling
knowledge that comfort, security and
the privilege OF earning a living have
vanished. and that through the debris
81 broken dreams and blasted hopes only
the roof of the family home is visible.
The Meredith family Is not only broke
IN terms OF worldly goods its pride, its
spirit and its faith are reduced to the
humiliating, degrading ashes OF beggar-
ism. Only those who have been forced
oy circumstances into that uncomfort-
able experience can know the mental
and emotional agony Of being ION relief"
The worst and the best of individual
dispositions naturally come to the sur
lace as nerves crack, tempers clash,
sympathy overflows and the common
experience Of hardship develops new and
stronger bonds Of understanding and
good fellowship
Then comes the realization that con-
tlnued dependence upon Government
support means eventual destruction of
everything that the American has be-
heVed to be synonymous with the
sacred privileges of citizenship. Lib
erty. opportunity, independence of en-
terprlse are too precious to sur
render for mess of pottage, so
something must be done, or something
must be made to happen If self-respect
and an honorable return to a useful
and happy life is to be achieved And
something does happen to this delightful,
lovable group of men and women, old
and young, who are certain to win places
OF warm esteem in the affections of
Hueston readers.
THE MAN WHO DIDN'T EXIST. By
Geo6rey Homes New York: VII
liam Morrow e. Co.
Here is murder story that is really
different. Robin Bishop. an enterprisinR
and rather pleasing newspaper reporter,
doing a high-speed sprint down the
beach in the hope Of catching up with
his hat which the wind kept rolling
merrlly along few feet in front OF him,
comes upon folded coat with a suicide
note pinned to 1t. And appended to the
note is the signature of the most famous
mysterg stoty writer's Of the day.
such circumstance would not have
proved OF more than the usual interest In
affairs OF this particularly pathetic ma
ture had 1t not been for the fact that
the famous author had never been
ldentlned. For several years readers,
motion picture producers, publishers and
students Of literature had been guessing
IN private and in public as to who the man
might be, but II any one knew no one
had ever told No mark was found upon
the coat that would identify its owner,
and the only thing found in the pockets
was newspaper clipping expressing the
views OF popular columnist upon
ZW1ck's work and giving the names OF
1ve outstanding men Of genius who
could possibly be suspected Of parading
q s1de-l1ne interest under an assumed
name.
Robin Bishop, who had wondered as
much as had any one else about Zwicks
reality, recognizes the makings of a big
story in the discovery of the authors
name-that possibility seeming an easy
job now tnat Zwick is dead. But Robin
soon comes to believe that there has been
no suicide and that the writer, tired of
the side line, wishes to dispose OF his
second self and has adopted the suggest
ed suicide method of accomplishing his
demise.
So the hunt begins, not for the body
OF suicide, but for living person who
might or might not be one Of the five
persons suspected by the columnist, and
who might be guilty of staging a pub
licity stunt Robins associates and the
press in general inclines to the latter
view, but the reporter refuses to sur
render his belief in a genuine mystery,
and 1t is not long before he is proved
to be right
A harmless faithful mail clerk, who
may have been able to identify the two
persons who have received mail from q
box held in the name of still an
other person, is shot down as he
answers knock upon the door of his
home. Another murder, this time q
woman, follows within few hours. A
fine problem is, indeed, then presented.
Zwick is not only alive, but it is evident
that he intends to remain alive and to
maintain the secrecy regarding his
identity.
The local police and the Federal au-
thorities unite in an endeavor to find
the murderer Of the mail clerk. And
Robin co-operates with both. The in
vestigation pushes back for a bit and
delves into the question of the death of
one OF the five men considered as pos
sibly the noted Mr.. Zwick. Was his
death an accident, as reported. or had