Olivia Goldsmith: Author of The First Wives Club Dies at 55

Olivia Goldsmith was an American novelist, born Randy Goldfield on January 1, 1949, in Dumont, New Jersey. She spent years as a partner at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton before turning to fiction.

Her 1992 debut The First Wives Club, about three women left for younger partners, became a bestseller and a 1996 film starring Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton. Other novels included Flavor of the Month (1994), Marrying Mom (1996), Switcheroo (1998) and Insiders (2002).

Goldsmith was married to John T. Reid from 1978 to 1990. She collapsed during a cosmetic surgery procedure in New York in January 2004, fell into a coma, and died on January 15, 2004, at age 55. Her final two books were published after her death.

Achievements: Bestselling novelist, The First Wives Club (1992) adapted as a 1996 film.

Birth: January 1, 1949 - Dumont, New Jersey.

Profession: Novelist.

Interesting Facts: She wrote under a pen name and had worked in management consulting.