DESTINATION DANGER

As in Uncertain April (May 1, 1958) the author parallels the outward tension of her environment with the internal fears involved in the transition from insecurity to self-discovery. Ricardo Fuentes, cadet in a Mexican flying school, castigates himself for lacking the kind of heroism shown by his illustrious family. Though Ricardo considers himself only half a man, his hazardous feats in the sky belie this. It takes a truly heroic deed accomplished during a rescue mission to hurricane-ravaged Tampico for him to bridge the gap between a boyish self image and the courageous man he is. Despite these psychological components, the story itself includes many authentic sketches of flying from the pilot's viewpoint. Interested male readers will probably be grateful for the minimal emphasis on romance -- Mary Hill, attractive Red Cross worker -- does not appear until the last quarter of the book.