Critical Praise

“I have always had faith that the best writers will rise to the top, like cream, sooner or later, and will become exactly as well-known as they should be --- their work talked about, quoted, taught, performed, filmed, set to music, anthologized. Perhaps, with the present collection, Lucia Berlin will begin to gain the attention she deserves.”

—Lydia Davis

“An important American writer, one who was mostly overlooked in her time…. She is the real deal.”

—Dwight Garner, The New York Times

“Sheer literary star power…I just loved it.”

—Marion Winik, Newsday

“Berlin…deserves to be ranked alongside Alice Munro, Raymond Carver and Anton Chekhov.”

—Nick Romeo, The Boston Globe

“It’s just an incredible book. Lucia Berlin is a laugh-out-loud & burst-into-tears writer.” 

—Elizabeth McCracken (on Twitter)

“Lucia Berlin’s electrifying posthumous collection A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN is a miracle of storytelling economy, showcasing this largely unheard-of writer’s genius for streetwise erudition and sudden, soul-baring epiphanies.”

—Lisa Shea, Elle