THE AUTHOR of Escape from the Soviets loses none of her direct readable style in this second volume about conditions is contemporary Russia. There is, however, no continuity to this book, which concerns itself exclusively with essays covering incidents in the life of the author and of other Soviet women with whom she was acquainted.

In her position as one of the relatively few female intellectuals working for the new regime, Madame, Tehernavin was appointed to several teaching posts and to positions, such as that of Supervisor of Museums, which gave her an opportunity to observe whole groups of people and compare them with their comrades. The essays are short narratives about some of her pupils and business associates written from the stand-point of either a teacher or a superior and showing some of the natural impatience of elder persons with young.

Viewpoint is Limited

Every-author must write from his own viewpoint but the reader of this book finds it almost impossible to forget that the author is obviously out of patience with the system as it now operates. Every action on her part is written of as though it were a test case. There was delay in getting her furniture from some officials who had commandeered it when her husband was suspected of treason but even in this country we feel fortunate to get anything from a government official in a day and a half which is as long as her transaction required. The girls she taught had no idea of morals and lacked even the elementary principles of scholarship. While the system may rightfully be blamed for some of these conditions, it seems probable that there are a few counteracting factors which might be mentioned.

This criticism is not meant to show that the book is valueless. On the contrary, anything written by such as observer should be considered seriously, especially when comparisons are made with the conditions in the Tsarist regime under which she also lived. Her intimate knowledge with her subject and the skillful way in which the facts are set forth demand recognition but it should be remembered that the author is used to a different mode of living and is somewhat too old to adapt her ways to that of a new system. She undoubtedly presents the facts faithfully. Our only question is about the facts she does not present.

Wanted: A Russian Sinclair Lewis

Russia is a fascinating subject to most of us even though we may believe that the system she is following is the wrong one. But it seems as though something of value to the world must come out of an experiment of such size also and to which so much time and energy have been devoted. We need the true facts of the situation but the program is so different that every one who writes on the subject does so with a prejudice. This latest volume suffers from the extreme dislike of the author for the Soviets but it is only by reading it and balancing this collection of essays with the works of equally rabid partisans of the system that we may be able to secure a fair picture. Perhaps someday a Sinclair Lewis will arise among the Russians and be able to write about his people with out prejudice.