A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 24, 27 July 1929, Page 21

A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL

"Kiven." By Jean JJcvaimv. London Duckworth and Co., Ltd.

A story of family life is developed in Kivcn" and it must bo said tbat the family is not at all attractive, nor particularly interesting. Marigold, tho mother, is the heroine of the story, such as it isj for there is nothing concrete or cohesive' in tho plot. It is just a record of family happenings of a not very pleasant sort. Marigold, wife of Justus Jcrnng, is represented as exceptionally beautiful and well-off, in fact, better off than her husband, whose business is not very good. She is the mother of three grown-up children, Hadrian, who is an artist, Lilith, a collego student, kindergartener, and generally given to good works, and Fay, a selfish modern flapper of seventeen. Justus, an unfaithful husband, and a coarse-spoken man, is made to develop the twostandard system of morality to his own satisfaction, and his wife's disgust when sho belatedly finds it out, after all her children have known of it for some time. Ho is joined by his sister, Justine, who is found to possess plenty of means from nn unaccountable source, and who becomes intrigued with a much younger man than herself, a former lover of Lilitji. Pay gets into trouble with a man possessed of the uncomfortablo name of Slurrick, aud a good deal of argument is used between the various characters as to whether she shall bo married to the man to save the situation or not, her mother being passionately •against it, and carrying her point. Hadrian betakes himself to Europe to study art, working his way as a steward, as his father refuses to let his mother go with him, or pay for him. He does well, and much is made of the fact that his father writes him plain-spoken warnings as to his conduct towards women, and the temptations to be avoided from them. For this, near the end of the book, Marigold finds herself tremendously grateful, nearly to the point of "forgiving all" and reinstating Justus on his pedestal as a splendid husband. However, as Lilith is going a-travelling to America, Hadriau is abroad on the Continent, aud Fay a disappointment, Marigold finds her children are riven from her, and suddenly decides to travel too. She seizes upon an elderly and most unattractive woman friend, who appears at intervals throughout the book (somewhat like the Greek Chorus), for she is tho recipient of many sentiments, and takes the part of vilely gossippy women who know the worst of everyone. Marigold explains to this person that she is going to faro forth into the world, and that she must come | too, and the book closes on a high note of excitement as they toast their future quest for adventure—M.H.C.