Mountain Laurel

by Anne Emery, has a statement on the jacket to the effect that it is a “moving story of mountain life for older girls,” and astonishingly enough, it is just that. It’s a charming bit of Americana, and entirely accurate. We were particularly impressed by the skill with which the rhythmic quality of the mountain speech is presented without resorting to written dialect. And there isn’t a dull moment in the book.