GREEN WINTER

Green Winter is the story of a black man in red territory. Joseph (Jojo) Robertson is a native of British Guiana with six years' study in London behind him when the opportunity to study in Moscow is offered him. He accepts, despite the warning that he is ""just going to a wider indifference."" In his year at Moscow, he meets many students from nations emerging from colonialism, exchanges views with them and the Russians, whom he contacts on many levels. There is his roommate Alexi, ordered to spy on him but too good a friend to do so; the Martovs, peasants whom Alexi takes him to see; Liza, of the new upper crust who has prestige and privilege and is willing to marry him; the Dean and officials of the University with their threatening bureaucratic officialdom; the hoodlums who, howling ""black monkey,"" beat him up. Between bull sessions and such encounters, Jojo's thinking evolves; his attitudes toward his country's leaders, Communism and capitalism change; his goals coalesce in a desire for advancement based on ability. A novel in name only, this is a hip exposition of the road to disenchantment and disaffection, bright rather than bitter, almost detached in its consciousness, yet with warmth for all that.