Evening star., 1938-08-31
NEW BOOKS AT
RANDOM
By MARGARET GERMOND.

w Al G1AtVA oy ClCd1lOT OdTk. NcW
York: The Macmillan Co.
In her new story the author Of Sun
Across the Sky" picks up and continues
the life Of Oliver Denning, hero Of the
fire that destroyed the fishing village
across the lagoon from Thalassa, nearly
cost him his life and brought to a
climax the friendship he had shared
with an artist neighbor.
The previous novel presented its hero
as young physician and humanitarian
idealist, married to the wrong woman
and struggling with the problem of max
ing his life conform to the pattern to
which he had unwittingly committed it,
Through the companionship OF Patrick
kaVanaugh, eccentric Irish poet and
philosopher and his acquaintance with
Lois Marshall the burden of his do
mestic unhappiness was somewhat
lightened. 1t was while attempting to
rescue the priceless manuscripts Of
kavanaugh from the confagration
which wiped out the village that DR..
Denning was badly burned
Australia remains the scene Of this
second installment of the life of Dr. Den
ming, but this time the action takes
place in small suburb across the har-
Dor from Sydney. Within the span
from sunrise to sunset cross-section
OF the population, unrelated save for the
proximity Of neighborhood, is drawn to-
gether in series of separately unim-
portant incidents that eliminate in
dramatic event which actually occurred
few years ago. Eleanor Dark was
born and educated in Sydney. All three
OF her novels bear evidence of her love
for her native land and her sensitive
response TO the beauty that gives it
peculiar charm. She Is the daughter of
Dowell OReilly, Well-known Australian
writer, and the wife of a physician.
Both relationships. plus her own note
worthy ability, give substantial back
ground to her work.
Oliver Denning is now married. to Lois
Marshall and is happy. Ian Harnett, a
neighbor and the father of two mother
less boys, is in love with Winifred Sell
man, cultured wife of a hopelessly ILL
bred man of wealth. Leslie Channon
and her scholarly father struggle Jointly
against poverty, while as individuals the
girl endeavors to choose between wealthy
Sim Hegarty and radical Roger Blair,
and Prof. Channon battles alone against
Lorna Sellman, sister of Winifreds hus-
band and one-time reigning belle, is
seeking desperately to preserve her fad
ing beauty and to marry Sim Hegarty.
Jack Saunders, jobleSs and consumed by
hatred for those with money, gives vent
to his bitterness in acts for which the
law might hold him. Lady Hegarty,
weary of the wealth that has become
burdensome and never made her happy,
seeks relief from boredom by indulging
in self f-analysis.
Brenda, blind daughter of Winfred
and Arthur Sellman, is the stumbling
block between her mother and Ian
Hartnett. The two husky and lovable'
Hartnett boys are her playmates, guard
ians and eyes in the recreations and
games which are part Of every child's
life. Chloe Marshall still is the wise
and efficient manager Of her sleepy
headed, haphazard. artist mother.
Most of these characters and many
others are by chance tangled in a mob
scene caused by the conflict Of mass
demonstration with a wedding party,
later to be separated and brought to-
gether again on the homeward-bound
ferry.
The story is in five parts. subtitled
THE Sunrise" The Cove" The City"
The Ferry" THE Sunset" Like the
two previous novels. it reaches its climax
in highly dramatic scene in which pas
sions and hatreds are forgotten when
disaster reduces all Of humanity to a
common level.
The note on which the story ends gives
rise to the hope that there may be yet
another installment Of the career of
Oliver Denning.
Ap observation-disclosures nAJTCuTEP