PROMISES TO KEEP

We are led to believe that Carol Lane is an average teenager from small-town U.S.A. (upper New York State). Yet as her 16th year unfolds, the exceptional qualities in Carol are also revealed. Because her school marks are below par, Carol is fearful about her chance in realizing her ambition to become a nurse. Yet it is her sense of responsibility rather than her academic record that is the determining factor. As an aide in the community hospital, Carol is exposed to many aspects of nursing, and afforded the opportunity to discover her talent for the psychiatric branch. Outside the hospital, Carol is part of a friendly crowd in which all are deciding on careers. Larry, her beau, is thrilled about being drafted and plans to get his technical training in the army. Grace and Fred are looking forward to careens as professional nurses: their marks are acceptable. When Carol falls the requirements, she compromises by accepting a career as a practical nurse and admission to a training school in New York City. Though Miss Roberts' characters are too wooden to be called typical, and her subdued attempts to justify mediocrity thread the story, Carol's experience in settling for a realistic if not ideal goal is a worthwhile lesson for other girls in similar predicaments.