Lucia Berlin

So Long: Stories, 1987-1992 by Lucia Berlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cannot say enough about how good these stories are. This collection starts with a contemplative little tale about an old woman Luna Nueva, moves into Sombra, which will probably bring tears to your eyes, then it's on to Friends, which may have you thinking it's moving in a familiar direction until it takes a sudden turn. The stories that fill the rest of the collection go up and down from greatness to merely good, but I found none that I would complain about. Lucia Berlin is a hidden treasure these days, having sadly passed away, on her birthday no less, several years ago, but whose work is recently making a comeback. Therefore, some of it may seem dated, but no less brilliant than when first written. Do whatever you can to find her books and indulge in some of the finest short-story telling available.

Where I Live Now: Stories 1993-1998 by Lucia Berlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you've read So Long, you'll find more of the same kind of stories in this collection. An equally excellent group of tales that seem so real and authentic you will have to believe they are based closely on events in the author's life. The saddest thing for me is to realize we cannot have a novel or two from Lucia Berlin, although her collections with repeated use of characters, especially sister Sally, read almost like novels told in stories. Her style and tone (and characterizations of people from varied strata) are probing and addictive. Her books are something I'd want with me on a desert isle if I was limited in what I could wash ashore with in my survival chest.