Lucia was my mentor: for my writing, my romances, everything about my life. She was a great teacher and guide, because she was a great person. All those qualities and insights are there in her writing.

She is one of the most brilliant short story writers of the 20th century, and I'm proud to have known her.

This is my favorite book she wrote. It is filled with stunning stories. One of the best, "My Jockey," is only one page long. You will never forget it. I have read it countless times, many of them out loud, to other people. They usually begin by humoring me, but when I finish they want to read or hear it again.

Lucia writes with candor and brilliance, and also great empathy and respect for all her characters. Her literary hero was Chekhov, because he treated every one of his characters with respect. I think she did him one better. I have tried to keep that lesson foremost in mind as I write, but I look to Lucia's work as the embodiment of that quality even more than Chekhov. That's saying a lot. ( )

Intriguing and memorable - all the more so because the stories are true. ( )