Peter, an English cleric, lives among the unrealities of pre-war England. Formal religious duties fill his working hours, and unreal religious conceptions his thoughts. There is a fiancee as unreal as all the rest. Conventional thoughts and aspirations and sentiments combine in her to make a personality that is a mere summation of unrealities. But all these things are real to Peter in "Simon Called Peter" by Robert Keable. The surface of the man leads its tranquil surface existence.

Then fired with religious zeal to serve he goes "down among the multitude" in France. It is France behind the lines in wartime, people with men and women from the four corners of the earth, men and women tensed in a chaos that has engulfed the world. With a calm serenity lie goes to serve here as he has served at home, but his services are nothing. Doubt batters his firm beliefs until, contrasted with actuality they fade into shadows. There is but one path open to him if he is to serve these people he must mingle closely with them, living as they live until he knows their needs.

When this is written to the girl at home she does not understand. There is no understanding in her. The engagement is broken and with it the last of that other world is gone. He faces an empty existence and stands looking over the sea. His old self, his old belief, his old love have passed away.

Yet as he stands there, there is someone before him. It is Julie, Julie with whom he had been playing in his spare hours, Julie aflame with life holds out to him the reality of a great love.

Now there is a wonderfully sweeping crescendo of magnificent passion and as it touches the heights Peter finds self, belief, and love.

One wonders whether this is not a great book. There is evident sincerity of purpose, vividness of portrayal and above all a fearless narration of emotion that mark it out from a host of others. Peter may be short lived but Julie will we imagine live on many years in the hearts of thousands of readers.