Perfida

This book was a bit slow-moving in places but it still grabbed me -- but I like Judith Rossner's style of writing. The ending was disappointing; it felt like there should be more. If you like Judith Rossner's other books, including Looking for Mr. Goodbar and Olivia, you'll like this one. If you're new to Ms. Rossner's work, I'd start with Olivia and if you like that one then give this one a try.

It took me a little while to grasp the direction of this novel but about half way through it suddenly grabbed me and I couldn't stop reading until I had finished the last page. I found the characters very believable, thoroughly examined, although I would have liked to have seen more sides from mother. I thought the ending to be poignant and simply, just about right. Madeline was a strong character in a realistic, believable sense. Happiness is not always found in career, love or stability. Most of the time it is found in discovering one's own independent self. That is the message I derived from this book.

In 1974, Anita Stern takes her five year old daughter, Madeline, and leaves her college professor husband at Dartmouth to move to Santa Fe. The pair soon moves in with Wilkie and Anita gives birth to a boy named Billy. Over the ensuing decade, Madeline tries desperately to win back her mother's love, but seems unable to compete with Anita's vast activities including drugs, sex, and alcohol. In spite of being neglected and often times abused, Madeline takes care of Billy and does well at school. Anita's art gallery does reasonably well in the arty seventies. When Madeline begins to date, Anita starts competing with her. She wants to out-look, out-youth, and take awayall the young men in her daughter's life, blaming her for everything that has going wrong in her life. When Madeline decides to attend Dartmouth and Anita's gallery begins to fail, all hell breaks lose between mother and daughter. When the air clears, one is dead and the other has vanished. Fans of Judith Rossner (LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR) will enjoy her latest novel, PERFIDIA, a fictionalization of a renowned murder case. New Mexico in the arty seventies is so brilliantly described that it comes across as if the reader is visiting the place. However, the protagonists have no redeeming value except perhaps Madeline., Madeline reminds readers of Snow White (not that Madeline is pure) and Anitathe Wicked Witch, with a touch of the cold and manipulative seven dwarfs. This first person narrative (through the eyes of Madeline) starring a dysfunctional family is Ms. Rossner's best novel in several years, but still not for everyone. Harriet Klausner