Absent Love: A Chronicle

Journalist Montero's important first novel is set in the mid-1970s, a time of immense transformation in Spanish society. The oppressive Fascist state has been dismantled following the death of Franco, and traditional gender roles and stereotypes are giving way. The book follows Ana, a 30-year-old single mother living in Madrid, and a group of career women as they negotiate the uncharted waters of equality. Flashbacks showing what it was like before the transition only serve to heighten the sense that beneath the surface, despite outward changes, much remains the same. Men still act out traditional roles. Women are left confused as to how to behave in the midst of this social flux. Even in translation, Montero comes across as a bellwether. The novel is narrated in the third person. On occasion, however, the author lapses into the first person, which serves as an act of solidarity with her characters. Originally published in Spain in 1979, this work will whet readers' appetite for the translation of her four subsequent novels. A fine introduction orients readers concerning Montero's work. (Dec.)