Faithful Rebecca

This first novel begins with Rebecca's literal and symbolic awakening atop a mountain where her former best friend Sagana has fled with Rebecca's baby daughter, Lily, and formed an Amazon community with other dissatisfied New York City women. Although Rebecca considers herself a faithful friend and mother, we learn that she came to the mountain mainly to find Evan, Lily's father. Instead, she meets Howard Geller, a silly teenager who helps her search for Sagana and Lily. She also meets Rhea, a body-building amazon who abuses her trust. Eventually she finds her former friend and daughter and, finally, begins to find herself. Returning to New York, Rebecca discards her jewelry, cosmetics, expensive clothing and photographs of herself in sensual poses; she no longer wants to be a doll for men to play with, insisting Lily be her only ""lover.'' In the end, she must strip herself of everything material and ultimately suffer a tragic loss before she can truly begin to rebuild her life. (June)