EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY

Another mellow, warm-hearted story of eager idealistic youth by the author of the books for girls. For Emily Webster, A on the debating team but C with the boys, graduating from the high school class of 1912 meant a time for personal stock-taking and firm resolve. Unable to go to college, missing her girl friends and occasional talks with the , stimulating Don Walker, and living alone with her grandfather made day-dreams of leaving Deep Valley, Minnesota, a tempting escape from loneliness. However, Emily decides to make the long days count. Organising a club to study Browning, dancing and music lessons, reading with her grandfather, and most important of all, teaching English to the women of the isolated Syrian sector and starting a boy's club to integrate Syrian and American children, finds Emily with few idle hours. A new hair style and clothes help mature her appearance, but Emily soon finds that maturity evolves through personal generosity and a creative, active mind. Finally through her activities with Little Syria Emily meets Jed Wakeman, also concerned with immigrant integration, and the book ends with the promise of a useful rewarding future together. Again the characters are vivid, real and the period setting convincing -- clothes, college chatter, songs, dances, news events, high school pers etc. All in all, a thoroughly satisfying book with warmth, wholesomeness and a good measure of sentiment, just ripe for the middle teens.