Stars on the Sea
$2.75
By LIPPINCOTT
THIS is a romantic and swift-flowing historical novel of those years which appeal infallibly to our American sentiment, the early and hazardous years of the American Revolution. The success of such a novel depends partly upon the characterization, partly upon the naturalness and authenticity with which the antiquarian details are fitted into the background, and partly upon the author’s power of invention. If, in addition, there is an underlying thesis which affords a fresh interpretation of the past, so much the better, Mr. Mason has a thesis — to wit, that the Colonies needed every bit of sea power they could muster; and to prove his point the story ranges from the occupation of Newport to the defense of Charleston, and thence to the Bahamas. Mr. Mason has peopled the narrative with a racy assortment; we admire his versatility, applaud the deft touches with which he brings a minor character to life, and only regret that the hero, the heroine, and her plotting parents all do what is expected of them, with an obedience that makes them seem puppets rather than the less predictable flesh and blood. But Mr. Mason is at his best when he goes into action; here he writes with Howard Pyle’s love of color, and an attention to detail which makes the old days live again.