Some of her friends that year

Highly regarded for her deft and humorous portrayals of the dark side of modern living, Maxine Chernoff's latest collection is a droll, poetic field guide to the endearing and troubling aspects of human behavior. Chernoff fans will relish the fifteen new stories, and new readers will discover a wonderful assemblage of Chernoff's likeable and contemplative characters. With the precision of a poet and the astuteness of a sociologist, Chernoff continues to establish herself as a master of the short story with this excellent collection, which includes stories from Bop and Signs of Devotion.