Maiden

New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc.. Near Fine in Near Fine dj. 1972. First Edition. Hardcover. [nice copy, with just a touch of soiling to the bottom of the text block; the jacket shows light handling wear only, with a very short diagonal crease at the bottom of the front flap]. The author's first (and only) novel, "the story of an innocent, a monstrous romantic, an anachronism of a heroine up against the metaphor of Southern California. Fortune Dundy is a free spirit among fools. What happens to her in this book is relentless, urgent, and above all, funny -- but behind the comedy lurks the absurdity of life." (Well, doesn't it always?) The book was well-reviewed upon its initial publication; the movie rights were reportedly sold to Columbia Pictures, and it was optioned at one point by Lily Tomlin, although no film ever appeared. Reprinted in 1999, it was called "a penetrating and original commentary on the deadly life of the American dream." As for Ms. Buchanan herself (b.1942 per OCLC), I've been able to uncover only one additional work, a play entitled "Cabrona," which premiered at Washington DC's Arena Stage in its 1975/76 season before sailing off into obscurity. .