A first novel from the pen of the author of North to the Orient and Gift from the Sea would have news value, entirely apart...

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A first novel from the pen of the author of North to the Orient and Gift from the Sea would have news value, entirely apart from the unique quality of the book itself. The title -- the opening charge in the wedding service from The Book of Common Prayer sets the scene -- a June wedding with family and close friends assembled in the home of the bride. No reader can fail to bring his own thoughts on human relations, particularly in the marriage pattern, to the challenge this book poses. It is a sensitive- at times a tragic- book, penetrating the depths of men's and women's souls, as line after line of the service is spoken, with its meaning enlarged, heightened by the lives of the listeners. Mrs. Lindbergh takes each of the major participants with his- or her- response; one goes back to the point in each life where aspiration met disillusionment -- or rarely, alas, fulfillment. In a few instances, new light is thrown on troubled waters- new hopes evolve. But with all who shared the span of time the wedding took, questionings of their own performance of their vows hold promise of a reassessment of values in their own lives. The composite that emerges is a many hued tapestry, almost flawless in projection and performance.

Pub Date: June 6, 1962

ISBN: 1556524900

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace & World

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1962

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