this, my first introduction to natalie mckelvy was a real shocking treat. the book..... raw, no holds barred, and all too real, put you in the frame of the action. this book at the time put a toes on the ground look at the early aids epidemic. although the main charachter of the story is basically dumped on you find yourself pushing for her to get over an impossible hump in life while all the meanwhile you find yourself asking...why does she do this to herself? this book will surely open your eyes to a great author.

Like the leisure suits, Harvey Wallbangers, and bunny clubs that preceded it, the "yuppie" culture of the '80s quickly became an object of ridicule once its time had passed. Because it's set in that culture, Natalie McKelvy's WHERE'S OURS? might easily be overlooked or dismissed.

It shouldn't be. The book pays only passing attention to the Rolex watches, BMWs, and big houses with big mortgages that were, after all, only enjoyed by a minority. Instead, in a refreshing departure from the stereotypes of upward mobility and conspicuous consumption, WHERE'S OURS? deals with a less publicized, but more commonly experienced, phenomenon of the time: downward mobility, especially vis-à-vis the previous generation.

Consider the plight of the majority of Baby Boomers: Having grown up during an economic upswing that started after the Second World War and continued essentially unabated for decades afterward, Boomers naturally took ever-increasing prosperity for granted. But just when they were leaving home to make it on their own, the oil crises and other economic woes of the late '70s brought the good times to an abrupt end. Few Boomers were prepared to live modestly, work and compete hard, and expect uncertain rewards only after years of struggle, as their Depression-era parents had. It was a way of life they'd never seen.

I know of no other book that captures this experience the way WHERE'S OURS? does. Its main characters, a young teacher named Gin who expects an assistant-principalship but gets fired instead, and his wife Marcia, a banker on a much slower track than she'd hoped for, struggle with their fate--and with their uncertainties regarding changing views of marriage, family, and career. Only gradually do they come to understand that the American Dream is not going to be handed to them on a silver platter, if at all.

What to do when you're long on expectations and frustrations, and short on gumption and maturity? That's the question that ultimately drives Gin and Marcia's story. In writing it poignantly and entertainingly, as she did, McKelvy didn't have an easy task. It would be easy (as Gin's parents do), to just say, "Quit whining," and to turn the misfortunes of yuppies into a farce; or even worse, to try to portray them as high tragedy, which they're not. Instead, McKelvy lets the real, often powerful, emotions of the situation speak for themselves, as when Gin, derided by his father for losing his job, vacillates between anger and shame.

The '80s generation probably won't be the stuff of legends for decades to come, nor is WHERE'S OURS? on a par with The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, or On The Road. Still, it's an accurate, heartfelt, and well-crafted portrait of a generation, and deserves more notice than it has received.