The Legend of Olivia Cosmos Montevideo: A Novel,Used

From Library JournalUnable to cope with the death of her son in Vietnam or to share her grief with her husband, suburban housewife Roberta Patterson Masters hits the road. When her car breaks down in Santa Fe, she reinvents herself, taking her new nameOlivia Cosmos Montevideofrom a road sign some distance back. In Santa Fe, Olivia is befriended by people quite unlike those of her past life. With their help, and using quite a lot of her own initiative (something she hadn't relied on lately), she finds hidden strengths and talents and is eventually able to reconcile who she was, is, and will be. In a truly compelling first novel, Warloe has captured the spirit of life in 1970, as folks in the suburbs start to realize that their lives bear little resemblance to those on the television shows they watch. Highly recommended. Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati Technical Coll.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Product DescriptionConsumed with grief over the death of her son in Vietnam, housewife Roberta Patterson Master leaves her mundane suburban life and heads westward, building a new lifeunder a new name and with a new loverin which she comes to terms with her own identity. 25,000 first printing.From Publishers WeeklySet in 1970, this first novel follows Roberta Patterson Masters, a suburban Washington, D.C., housewife whose son has just been killed in Vietnam, on a journey of selfdiscovery from grief and despair to a new beginning. Unable to work through this unspeakable loss with her husband, Roberta decides to drive across the country; after diverse stopovers, she comes to Santa Fe, N.M. There she assumes a new identityOlivia Cosmos Montevideo, a combination of three town names seen on a roadside signand, with the help of a lover, discovers fresh ways to express both her own vitality and the enormity of Gary's death: through art, passion and the lessons of Native American lore. Warloe expertly skirts the potential cliches here, as her protagonist comes a difficult full circle, integrating her past with her future, rather than just a pat leavingitallbehind. The assured narrative is shot through with flashes of startling inspiration, capturing manylayered emotions in aptly chosen images from daily life. Although Roberta/Olivia's introspection often crowds out concrete eventsleaving less with which the reader can engagethis unusual chronicle of a woman's odyssey resonates with wisdom and deep feeling.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.From BooklistAs this skilled first novel begins, Roberta Masters' 19yearold son has recently died in Vietnam. A painful impasse that exists with her husband is one factor in Roberta's decision to take to the road, journeying crosscountry as she relives scenes from her married life. Propelled at first by a need to understand the events that led to her son's death, Roberta also finds that she's on a quest for selfknowledge. The magical city of Santa Fe becomes the final destination, as Roberta conjures up a lyrical new identityOlivia Cosmos Montevideoand discovers how to cope with her old one. The lessons Olivia learns ring true in this heartfelt portrayal of a woman prevailing over profound emotional wounds. Alice JoyceFrom Kirkus ReviewsThis tedious first novel offers yet another variation on the Diary of a Mad Housewife theme. Roberta and Andrew's only son, Gary, has been killed in Vietnam. Roberta signed papers so he could enlist at 17; Andrew works as an accountant at the Pentagon. Roberta goes to Arlington Cemetery every day; Andrew refuses to join her. Desperate for consolation, or at least unfamiliar surroundings, Roberta gathers up all the TripTiks she can, gets into her car, and takes off. She picks up a hitchhiker (a draftdodger and protester) to whom she can relate like a mother. When he grabs her purse and runs off, readers suspect his resemblance to Gary might be stronger than Roberta admits. She might think she shared