Mrs. Overstreet has written a curiously contradictory book, for, superficially, it is an account of her homespun philosophy, of one-street towns and small town neighbors, of her interest in people and her feeling of responsibility for them -- but close reading reveals a complex investigation of her own inner growth, her spiritual and intellectual progress with the books and experiences that meet each need. While it provides fascinating reading, it is almost too much, unless the reader is ready to make a winter of it and then it might be profitably used as a suggested course in reading -- for most of the books mentioned come in cheap editions -- and a good plus sale could be built up on these.