The Swift Passage of Time

This story is about a group of pleasant young people who like each other in a relaxed way. They are about to graduate from the University of Michigan. Their names are: Parker Henry, the star of the football team, an officer in the ROTC, and an all-around nice guy; Amy Gralowicz, a shy girl, rather retiring, who is stunningly beautiful. Her father, Roman Gralowicz, works in the Ford foundry at River Rouge; Larry Franklin, who likes to think and is most easily found in the library; and,...
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This story is about a group of pleasant young people who like each other in a relaxed way. They are about to graduate from the University of Michigan. Their names are: Parker Henry, the star of the football team, an officer in the ROTC, and an all-around nice guy; Amy Gralowicz, a shy girl, rather retiring, who is stunningly beautiful. Her father, Roman Gralowicz, works in the Ford foundry at River Rouge; Larry Franklin, who likes to think and is most easily found in the library; and, finally, Caroline Grant, who is full of energy, beautiful in a dark-haired, blue-eyed way. Caroline is a handful to put it mildly. She has an "understanding" with Parker, but keeps the path clear for Larry, in case Parker flags during the chase. Larry hardly notices these things. He is searching for enlightenment, but, alas, all he finds is Caroline, which is not enlightenment.The story starts in London, moves to Ann Arbor and Hamtramck, then to Calcutta and finally back to the States and England, over a period of years. It is told by a narrator who is part of the story, from time to time. He declines to be named because he says that he does not know all the pertinent facts.The tale has some notable characters. One is Major Reg Houghton, D.S.O., who started as a Private in the British Amy. He received very rapid promotion during the fighting near Falaise after D-Day as his superiors were killed off. Reg disabled a Tiger tank all by himself. His medal was nominated by Col. Cope-Harrington, who later became a friend.The story has some tragedy. After the narrator's consulting company collapses, the narrator gets a job in the Ford foundry with Roman Gralowicz. There was a strike and Roman kept working. He was victimized by his former colleagues, and eventually killed himself. Somehow Caroline, who, by now, is married to Parker, finds out and arrives in Hamtramck to clean up the mess. She takes the narrator to her home, gets him back on his feet, and ships him off to England, where he immediately finds work.There is also the tragedy of Amy's disappearance, which is resolved by Caroline, for the better, perhaps, or for the worst. If your read the book you will develop an opinion about that.