The Commune - by Erica Abeel (Paperback)

About the Book

"A comic satire and roman a clef that takes us inside the Hamptons commune populated by the newly liberated women present at the creation of the seminal 1970 Women's March for Equality. The Commune's pioneering feminists can talk the talk, but find themselves whipsawed between the bold new ideals of the women's movement and the powerful tug of the past."--Publisher's description.

Book Synopsis

Her current novel The Commune is a comic satire and roman a clef that takes us inside the Hamptons commune populated by the newly liberated women present at the creation of the seminal 1970 Women's March for Equality. The Commune's pioneering feminists can talk the talk, but find themselves whipsawed between the bold new ideals of the women's movement and the powerful tug of the past - and therein lies drama.

Review Quotes

"How could you not love Erica Abeel's "The Commune," when it contains within its delicious description of the summer of 1970 and the beginnings of feminism, this chewy gem about a woman who is "...an invitation to ruin...the old ivory of her skin, a medallion of fat beneath the shoulder strap of her bra, delectable, all of it." Cutting, knowing, hilarious..."The Commune" is delectable, all of it." -- Lucian Truscott, journalist and author of "Dress Gray"

A Joyous, literary romp with hidden depth. - Kirkus

Erica Abeel is a wickedly funny writer - Joyce Wadler, journalist, former reporter for NY Times

Erica Abeel's sharp, witty, delightfully twisty novel THE COMMUNE goes behind the scenes of the women's movement circa 1970... I wanted the book not to end." Dawn Raffel, "The Strange Case of Dr. Couney."

"The Commune" Erica Abeel's sparkling, inventive take on the beginnings of the Women's Movement, is astute and hilarious at once." Hilma Wolitzer, "Today A Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket: Stories

"Erica Abeel is at her scathingly funny best in this deeply thought-provoking gem. You'll never look at the Hamptons quite the same way again." - Erica Heller, memoirist

"THE COMMUNE is a really funny satire on the liberal elite. You certainly put them in their place!" - Dr. Nijole Kudirka, psychotherapist and photographer

Abeel pulls off the tricky feat of mixing biting satire with characters we really care about. Along the way she skewers the Hamptons as only an insider could." -- Steven Gaines, "Simply Halston, Philistines at the Hedgerow."

Abeel captures the comic ironies of women who created a social revolution yet remain hostage to a more traditional past. I love this witty, rambunctious novel. What a ride!" -- Thelma Adams, author of the novel "The Last Woman Standing" and film critic.

...Part of the fun is figuring out which brilliantly drawn character is which real-life person, making this buoyant, moving piece-of-history novel an absolute knockout. Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of "Pictures of You, Is This Tomorrow" and "With or Without You."

"... Novelist, former dancer, scholar, and critic Erica Abeel's forthcoming novel The Commune, fictionalizes the internal conflict of 1970 feminists between life with and without dependence on men. - Sheila Weller in The Saturday Evening Post, author of NYT bestseller "Girls Like Us."