"Show Me a Land"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23719, 27 July 1940, Page 4 (Supplement)

"Show Me a Land"

Spacious Days In America's Old South

By GRAMMATICUS

GLAMOUR is a word oife hesitates to use. It has Hollywood finger-marks all over it. Romance is as bad. It is soiled with Victorian tears. It is a pity, because we want a word to describe that invisible export of the "Old South," which, since the appearance of "Gone With the Wind," and before, has contributed to the solution of Mr. Roosevelt's "Economic Problem No. 1." American Mriters nre combining to smother all the sighs and tears of "Undo Tom's Cabin." They forget the North, and produce a good novel a year

on Virginia, Georgia and Kentucky, and the spacious days of a century ago. "Show Me a Land" is the latest. Headers must not look at the dustcover. Its film-advertisement, style is not fair to the book. They imst also overcome a first impression. The first temptation is to see Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in Hike and Dana. The similarity is short-lived, and Mr. McMeekin shows a real power of_ i.is own iu characterisation. His story is full of life and movement, colourful and wellconceived. Its events cover the crowded vcars from 181G to 1875. Need one sav 'more of the historical background? This is definitely a book for our "Southern" shelf. "Show Mo a Land," Clark McMcckin. (Apiiloton-Century.)