I WAS A STRANGER

Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos is an orphanage in Mexico founded and operated by an American priest named William Wasson. This is the story of that institution -- a sort of Mexican Boys' Town presided over by a tall, blond gringo who, with energy and compassion, has often managed to bring love and dignity into the lives of his wards. That this book succeeds in conveying the spirit of Wasson and his accomplishment is more a tribute to the authenticity of that spirit than to the quality of the narrative. Case histories and commentaries by patrons and visitors (e.g., Helen Hayes; Erich Fromm), rather than being worked into the text itself, are presented almost as afterthoughts. The author's style is redolent of the early '50's, and Mr. Nicholson has not always been able to stay on this side of preciosity. On the whole, one has the impression of reading an interesting but overlong magazine article that has never known the touch of an editor's pencil.