A very controversial book in a first novel built around an explosive theme, race relations brought down to personal terms in the story of a double triangle. Two war veterans, both students in New York meet, like each other and join forces in an apartment. One, Peter, is white, the other, Paul is a Negro -- and both their families violently question the arrangement. Peter quarrels with his older brother, Ed, who takes it on himself to spread the news -- and in turn Ed quarrels with his girl, Chris, who sides with Peter, and goes even farther in her defense of the possibility of natural relations between the races. But the payoff comes when Chris and Paul meet- and Peter learns that for each a love affair long past had been a profoundly vital thing, though Paul had felt that marriage was impossible, and broken with Chris. Peter goes berserk- turns on Paul with all the traditional anthipaties- and the break on both fronts seems complete. That the bonds of friendship really went deeper than they knew is evidence in the ultimate understanding, and the story ends with confession of the need for more time before the automatic responses can really be eliminated.... For a terribly difficult theme this is movingly and convincingly handled. But watch your market.