THE SEASONS OF HEROES

This loosely woven novel is the saga of the Gibboney family of Virginia, a clan sufficiently fictional to have manifested heroic courage over three successive generations. The first part of the story, set late in the Civil War, celebrates the exploits of young Bobby Gibboney, a Confederate officer whose heroics are of a military nature. The second part is the story of Matthews father of Bobby, a Confederate general malgre lut whose courage is tested by having to decide when, and for whom, to fight. The final section takes place in 1912, and the hero is William Gibboney, son of Bobby and grandson of Matthew, who--albeit vainly--must face down a mob out to lynch a Negro retainer. The first two sections are competent enough, though Mr. Davis at times becomes bogged down in philosophy and not infrequently lapses into anachronisms, particularly in bivouac and battle scenes. The third part, however, is a touching study in moral courage interlaced with a finely spun and delicately textured whimsey. On the whole, the book is readable and entertaining, but there are too many minor defects, particularly in the first two sections, to lift it out of the ordinary.