A Ruth Suckow Omnibus

The republication of these 11 stories and the title novella by Iowa writer Suckow (1892-1960) is a welcome event. Several are from Children and Older People (1931), others from magazines like Good Housekeeping and Smart Set. A regionalist, Suckow celebrates with gentle humor the foibles and emotional richness of unsophisticated folk stuck on the farm or in small towns. The title novella is a triumphant evocation, laced with irony, of turn-of-the-century collegiate life. Not only is it riveting fiction about Hester, who imbibes the school spirit all too thoroughly, but it's a gold mine for social historians. The high price of adultery for a pretty woman in a gossipy town is delineated with bitter charm in ``Susan and the Doctor.'' A visit from the in-laws to a ``Godforsaken burg in Colorado'' is treated in ``Visiting.'' When ladies of the club get together in ``What Have I?'' the memory of an old scandal unnerves Winifred. ``The Crick'' and ``The Little Girl from Town'' are about childhood. These delightful tales of nostalgic Americana are just right for summertime reading in the backyard or on the front porch swing. (August)