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GIVE IT BACK TO THE LEMONGROWERS by Willard Temple

GIVE IT BACK TO THE LEMONGROWERS

By

Pub Date: Oct. 24th, 1961
Publisher: Crown

Report repeated from the March 15th bulletin, when scheduled for spring publication, as follows: ""Willard Temple's last novel Everyday is Sunday (1959) was soap-opera fiction populated by cliche characters. This novel works in the same vein but it shows more superficial skill and more imagination. Primarily the situation involves a re-zoning battle in a small town but the author manages to stretch a basic, easily comprehensible, struggle into a series of complications that are recognizable and, on a certain level, entertaining. Sam Gillespie, big-time financier, comes to the sleepy California town of San Manuel determined to `develop' it. He is opposed by the town's major influence, dowager-type Hester Fay. The battle seesaws and is almost decided by George Pringle, a refugee from New York who likes San Manuel the way it is but realizes that a fight against 'progress' is a losing battle. His deciding vote goes to Sam. Hester Fay loses- but her niece wins Sam's assistant who is converted to San Manuel-isms. Actually Sam loses too; an earthquake demolishes his plans. The is restored though Pringle is resigned to future alterations.