The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-05-25
WASHINGTON HUMIDITY
from /,
the Latest Books

Not so long ago, most Of Eu-
rope sang the praises of Franz
Werfel with words measuring
him as one Of the greatest liter
airy figures of the century. Then
the fury Of Hitler's Europe
struck mercilessly, forcing him
TO flee.
But in that flight he took
refuge in the French town of
Lourdes, where he became &C
quainted with the history of
Bernadette Soubirous, and re-
solved, if he ever reached a
haven, to tell the story of that
miracle.
He has kept his pledge well
in THE Song of Bernadette'
Viking: So, a sensitive, deep
ly felt story Of that 14-year-old
girls vision of "a beautiful
lady" spiritual experience
which shook the Church, pene-
tratcd even into the political
affairs of the times and trans
formed the lives of hundreds.
The Song of Bernadette"
will appeal to different readers
in many ways, but none can fail
to be moved by its spiritual
honor and beauty. AS a celebra-
ton Of the grandeur of a fine
human spirit, the book has few
equals in our time.
WESTERN SAGA
There's a vigorous picture of
life past and present in a mod
ern boom-state in Archie Binns', ,
The Roaring Land" Mcbride:
So, the story of Washington
state. Indian fighting, logging,
apple ranChing, smuggling,
wheat raising, mining, dam con-
struction, bomber building and
war work have all played a
part in the short but dramatic
growth of the Pacific North
west.
Binns traces the colorful his
tory Of the state named for our
first president, dWells on the
natural beauties of its forests,
mountains, trout streams and
waving wheat fields, and speaks
Of the current hustle of activity
IN its war plants, its armed,
camps and flying fields and at
massive Grand Coulee Dam.
More narrative than descrip-
tive, THE Roaring Land is
pleasantly Spiced with anecdotes
Of loggers, sailors and flying
fortress builders alike. The
story of Washington state is one
we all have an interest in to-
day as war threatens our west
ern shores, and particularly this
upper left-hand corner of the
country.
PREFERRED POETRY
In "A Witness Tree" (Holt:
So. Robert Frost, one of Amer
ica's most distinguished poets,
again writes with that dignified.
clear love of earth and all its
spiritual implications. This COL
lection is moving and pro-
found, worthy of its author and
his thoughtful readers.
A different idiom, more COM
pliCated but not less stirring. is
employed by Genevieve Tag
gard in Long View" (Harper:
So Hers is not a voice for sol
itarics, but one which rings out
challengingly for a great future
and hopeful world. Warm with
humanity and full of wise UNI
derStanding of our times, Long
View is Miss Taggard's finest
poetry to date. The title poem,
the text for the cantata, This
Is Our Time, W and the magnifi-
cent ode in Time of Crisis"
speak for Americans with clar-
Ity and strength.
For fun read My Yankee
Mother Vanguard: S2.5O), by
Herbert f. French, an amusing
account of a New England wom-
an who looked askance at any
one who didn't relish brown
bread and baked beans for
breakfast Add to this BE 1t
Ever So Humble. or Hellions on
the Hearth CHarper: s250),
Dwight Parham's laughable &C
count Of the evolution of his
Connecticut shack TO a Gothic
monStroSity TO a Colonial man
or house designed by a grand
opera singer. Then for tops in
Sdtiric humor, don't overlook
Beatrice the Ballerina' (Dut-
ton: SD. drawn and told by