ROMANCE AT MT. COOK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25428, 8 January 1944, Page 2

ROMANCE AT MT. COOK

The Hermit at the Hermitage. By Gilbert Ward. Illustrated by “ Gipsy." (G. F. Ward, Timara) 4s 6d. The first thing that strikes the reader of The Hermit at the Hermitage is that its author is far from being a hermit—as far as, some might add, as is the Hermitage from a hermitage. The second thing that strikes one almost simultaneously, is the great good nature, the rare spirit, of the writer of this presumably fictitious account of a holiday in the shadow of Mt. Cook. Mr Ward is not concerned to provide another account of alpine adventure, but is interested rather in the sub-alpine, and even quite tropical experiences of his hero at the Hermitage itself, first with a blonde goddess whom he thought of as “ Olga the Beautiful Spy,” and next with a pert young servicewoman, “ Little America.” Olga, as it transpired after he had risked his neck, gathering edelweiss for her, was on \her honeymoon, and “Little America”—but it is only fair to let Mr Ward tell the story in his own way. McG.