San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, September 17, 1903

A Good German Novel

"Valeska," which recently appeared as a serial in the columns of the California Demokrat, now comes out in attractive book form. The author of "Valeska" is H. von Konsky, editor of the San Francisco Demokrat and one of the foremost German journalists in America. The scenes of the story are laid in an isolated part of Western Texas, settled many years ago by a highly educated class of German farmers, the so-called "lateinieche Bauern". Judging from the faithful local coloring of the book we presume that the author himself was for some time a member of one of these prosperous settlements he mentions; hence his descriptions of the fine scenery, as well as the social conditions of the people, are derived from personal observation. He evidently relates many of his own personal experiences, and does it in an interesting and attractive way, without exaggeration. Whoever has been thrown into society such as the author so forcibly depicts will be interested in this novel and read it with pleasure, and the style is so superior that it makes the book worthy of a permanent place in German literature of this century. (San Francisco: Barkhaus & Co., 213 Kearny street; price $1.00 net)