“[A] magnificent collection . . . [by] a writer of boundless tenderness.”—Geneviève Brisac, Le Monde

“Centrifugal, pensive, often elusive stories by one of the greatest living Russian writers (and leading anti-Putinist). . . . The stories are marvels of economy and the unexpected twist, each a memorable tour de force. . . . A welcome introduction to the short fiction of an essential writer.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for Ludmila Ulitskaya:

“One of the most important living Russian writers.”―Gary Shteyngart

“Ulitskaya resists reductive ideological thinking, in her fiction as in life. She specializes in swerves of fate, not lockstep plots. Ulitskaya’s signature narrative perspective—a self-consciously feminine eye and ear intently at work—takes in matchmaking possibilities, mundane coincidences, and unexpected human chemistry. . . . The women in Ulitskaya’s work come off as strong and resilient, even magical.”—Leonard Bershidsky, The Atlantic

“[Ulitskaya] has become a voice of moral authority for differently minded Russians.”—Masha Gessen, New Yorker