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LEMENCY DRAPER by Frank Knight

LEMENCY DRAPER

By

Pub Date: July 24th, 1963
Publisher: St Martin's Press

A freedom-bound orphan, an abandoned baby, two lovesick lovers, a mysterious Frenchman ""join hands"" and parade their dramatic lives before the reader in an English village. Clemency Draper behaves in the manner of many book orphans; she is grateful and humble at all times. Even with all her virtues, she is the only character who does not seem like a vague shadow. The remaining cast can be divided sharply into stacks of Good and Bad, with the scales here tipped heavily in favor of the former. The reader is not held spellbound, because the story is narrated in such an even tone it necessarily precludes intensity. All in all, too much is wrapped up too neatly between two covers by the author of The Last of Lallow's (1961, p. 736, J-260) and others.