I am always writing down book titles that people recommend, but by the time I get them I tend to forget who recommended it. But whoever steered me to A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin, many thanks! A fantastic collection of short stories, simple writing with descriptions of relationships and ordinary people met on the street or at the laundromat. A unique voice but reminding me of Grace Paley in the way she almost offhandedly reaches in and touches your heart. A Manual for Cleaning Women