The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-09

It is the story of a Spanish family in New Mexico, the emotional and numerous EsQuivels, descendants of m Esquivel who had come to Am. erica In 1898. They are proud of their heritage and their race. Con- Sequently when Lolita and Lorenzo LeJanza, children of the widowed Elosisa Esquivel, are discriminated against because they are Spaniards, you expect them to fight back. And they do; the climax of I,orenzos rebellion Is reached when he Is called up in the draft and refuses to report.
 Some years ago Mir. Crichton wrote Q critical piece in which he aniinadverted upon the novel as c dying literary form. The gist of his argument was that 0 writer with Q message ought not to clutter up the landscape with fictional characters and happenings when he could make his point so much better with biography and straight reporting. How satisfactory 1t is that MT. Crtchton refused to take his own arguments too geriouslyl For in "The Proud People" he chooses to tackle the problem of racial mi- norities in America, and 1t is to his great credit that he handles 1t so skillfully and yet SO unobtrusive- ly that the enjoyment of his fino narrative is not impaired In the slightest degree. The problem of the Esquivels is not a simple one and it Is further complicated when LOT. enzo dehantly falls In love with e Mexican girl, whose people in turn are high. .hatted by the Spaniayds. tPharisaism, in other words, Is everywhere.)
 "The Proud People" has some not easily forgotten oh aracters, such as Uncle MuStamente, Q sort of Micawberish black sheep, and the salty Dr. Andrews and his friend, Prof. Tutweiler. But chief among them Is the aged Aunt Ceferina. She is 30, but her mind and wit are as keen as @ sword blade. Then there is Estevan San- tiStevan, described by the author as "a great lawyer, c grea It poker player, Q great man." This is under statement; EsteVan IS one of the swellest rogues you've met In years. The court trial in which he de- fends Bustainente when the latter is sued for trihing with tho affec- tons of a lady-this alone IS worth the price of admission. Publishers: scribner's. Price: S276.
 CURTAIN RAISER
 WHILE Crichton was pounding
 w away at his novel, his round pal and co-worker, quentin Key. holds, was knocking out 0 factual rendition of his experiences in Iran. Russia, North Africa, Sicily, and bloody Salerno. Tn his "The Cur. tain Rises" (RandoTn House: @2.76) he outdoes himself in vivid descTip- ton of things chaotic, pathetic and earthy.
 You have no idea of what a for- eign correspondent has to go through until you read Of Quenta experiences in Moscow, Of his dis. like for Russian bureaucratic red tape, of his love for the Russian people, and hIs admiration for theiS courage.
 You've only to read his chapter "Three Russian Women" to get an idea of the sacrifices the Rus sian women are making; that the only idea every man, woman and child of MuScovy has is victory and that Germans can't hope tc win. You also wonder what VIII J happen to Germany if the Redi ever invade the Rhineland!
 But closer to home and probably of more interest to mothers and dads are his descriptions of the battles on Sicily and the invasion of Italy. He names names. writes n Q honey vein that is simple to read and puts you right in the foxholet with the boys who are taking the best the Nazic have to ofer.
 One thing you can be sure oi in reading this book - that every correspondent and every man at the front loves Gen. Ike Eisenhower mad that the American Army hal