La decepción. (The Deception)

Argentine Yujnovsky's third novel focuses on three strong-willed, politically active generations of Argentine women during the 20th century. Marcela, the protagonist, is an avant-garde woman who espouses and defends and Socialist ideals. She dismisses the social rules of her time by openly cohabiting with Leo, her future husband, in the early 1900s. When Marcela realizes that her relationship with Leo has become too complacent and uninteresting, she leaves him for another man. Her daughter, Noemí, and her new husband, Goyo, share Marcela's political ideology. However, there is a generational gap, as Noemí and her friends have developed a different discourse and do not have room for the "old" activists, who, they believe, did not accomplish what they had set out to accomplish. Noemí's daughter, María Isabel, a law student, will continue the work of both her mother and grandmother by becoming a strong advocate for human rights. This novel touches upon various periods and aspects of Argentine history—e.g., Peronism, the Malvina Islands War, and protests by the Madres of La Plaza de Mayo—as well as the sociopolitical histories of several American and European countries are mentioned briefly, including Chile under Pinochet, Cuba under Castro, and Spain under Franco. Yujnovsky's descriptions of the city of Buenos Aires, which include the names of streets and buildings, are superb. Argentine history and literature aficionados will appreciate this novel. Recommended for academic and public libraries.—Liliana Wendorff, Queens Univ. of Charlotte