First Wives Club

This empowering romp will delight and invigorate nearly any woman who's ever stewed over a bad breakup. In late-'80s Manhattan, three well-to-do, middle-aged divorcees are brought together by the suicide of a friend whose spouse, a bigoted Wall Street shark, abandoned her and later wed his ambitious protegee. Annie, a gentle, generous novelist, was dumped by her ad-exec husband for the woman who was their marriage counselor; Elise is a hard-drinking actress whose ex now dates a young artist/heiress; and Brenda is a compulsive overeater who was left by a crass salesman she had helped succeed in the retail biz. Calling themselves the First Wives Club, the three attend society functions together and seek methods of winning not only revenge but the nobler reward of justice for themselves and, posthumously, for their friend. As they stylishly, systematically and nonviolently foil the schemes of their callous former partners, they conquer their own weaknesses and find appreciative friends and lovers who complement rather than rule them. Goldsmith's glitzy, addictive and credible first novel is certain to raise smiles--not to mention a few hackles. Major ad/promo; Literary Guild featured alternate; author tour; movie rights to Paramount. (Mar.)