SEARCH IN THE DESERT

Uranium prospecting from a helicopter in the Four Corners desert area forms the background of a well written adventure, as informative about flying and minerals as it is suspenseful about the quest of young Joe Fraser. Having completed his flight training, Joe is working as a mechanic near Boulder, Colorado, when an offer comes up to fly a helicopter for Perry Burns and his father who want to prospect in the area. Joe goes gladly to work for them, but in the course of his labors he meets Manny, a Navajo Indian whose family owns land in the district, and Both, a nurse at a nearby hospital. When uranium is found the Burns are on the point of depriving Manny of his rights. However, Joe's and Beth's efforts stop them from doing so and open a new future for Manny as well as themselves . A patterned story but far more thoughtful than the average adventure.