And in the Morning

As in At the Going Down of the Sun, Darrell portrays the Sheridans, an English clan whose alienation from each other increases during WW II. The serenity of his estate in the village of Tarrant Royal doesn't soothe Sir Christopher Sheridan, an esthete accused by his wife, Marion, of ignoring the family's needs. Training secret agents does absorb Chris, whose son, David, becomes an RAF fighter pilot. Although many revere Chris's intellect, David despises his father for briefly deserting him and Marion years ago. Additional problems befall David after he accidentally shoots down a colleague's plane, so he transfers to Singapore, where Japanese invaders endanger his life. David's sister, Vesta, was a gullible idealist before a suitor mistreated her. Scorning all men, Vesta joins the army and witnesses horrifying carnage, an experience that leaves her more disillusioned and determined to resist a beguiling journalist's romantic overtures. Instead of using war as a mere backdrop, Darrell brilliantly shows how its exigencies and perils transform the characters' personalities. Detailed historical sidelights add to the novel's appeal. (January 2)