A Manual for Cleaning Women

A Manual for Cleaning Women Selected Stories

Lucia Berlin — 2015
Stories from a lost American classic "in the same arena as Alice Munro" (Lydia Davis) "In the field of short fiction, Lucia Berlin is one of America's best kept secrets. That's it. Flat out. No mitigating conditions." --Paul Metcalf A Manual for Cleaning Women compiles the best work of the legendary short-story writer Lucia Berlin. With her trademark blend of humor and melancholy, Berlin crafts miracles from the everyday--uncovering moments of grace in the cafeterias and Laundromats of the American Southwest, in the homes of the Northern California upper classes, and from the perspective of a cleaning woman alone in a hotel dining room in Mexico City. The women of Berlin's stories are lost, but they are also strong, clever, and extraordinarily real. They are hitchhikers, hard workers, bad Christians. With the wit of Lorrie Moore and the grit of Raymond Carver, they navigate a world of jockeys, doctors, and switchboard operators. They laugh, they mourn, they drink. Berlin, a highly influential writer despite having published little in her lifetime, conjures these women from California, Mexico, and beyond. Lovers of the short story will not want to miss this remarkable collection from a master of the form.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Dom
Dom@domi_b
3 stars
Jan 8, 2024
Photo of Joana da Silva
Joana da Silva@julesdsilva
5 stars
Mar 5, 2023
Photo of Amy Thibodeau
Amy Thibodeau@amythibodeau
4 stars
Dec 26, 2022
Photo of Chiyeung lau
Chiyeung lau@chiyeung
5 stars
Aug 29, 2022
Photo of Nadine
Nadine @intlnadine
5 stars
Feb 18, 2022
Photo of Amy Grieve
Amy Grieve@blossomamy
4 stars
Jan 9, 2022
Photo of Erin Noel
Erin Noel@erinhnoel
4 stars
Jan 9, 2022
Photo of Leafling
Leafling@leaflinglearns
5 stars
Sep 1, 2021
Photo of Gary Homewood
Gary Homewood@GaryHomewood
4 stars
Jul 28, 2021
Photo of Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis@aaronglewis
5 stars
May 14, 2022
Photo of Samantha Plakun
Samantha Plakun@samanthaplakun
5 stars
Jul 6, 2024
Photo of Allison Garber
Allison Garber@allygarbs
4 stars
Jul 5, 2024
Photo of Dhanya
Dhanya @sweetgra55
5 stars
May 7, 2024
Photo of Saara M
Saara M@saaramo
5 stars
Apr 3, 2024
Photo of Yasmin
Yasmin@yasamarante
5 stars
Jan 12, 2024
Photo of Katie
Katie@katie_____ad
4 stars
Jan 7, 2024
Photo of Will Vunderink
Will Vunderink@willvunderink
5 stars
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of Michael Ernst
Michael Ernst@beingernst
5 stars
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of Kyle Curry
Kyle Curry@kcurry24
5 stars
Nov 22, 2023
Photo of Blake Powers
Blake Powers@bpowers
5 stars
Aug 3, 2023
Photo of MG
MG@marilink
4 stars
Feb 4, 2023
Photo of Emily Bult
Emily Bult@emilyturtle
4 stars
Jan 3, 2023
Photo of Jacob Mishook
Jacob Mishook@jmishook
4 stars
Oct 16, 2022
Photo of Eve Lynch
Eve Lynch@evelynch
5 stars
Sep 15, 2022