The collection "Instructions for Housemaids" includes the best narratives of the legendary storyteller Lucia Berlin, a master of the form who was recognized posthumously as an excellent representative of the bohemian generation of the '60s and '70s. With the strength of Raymond Carver, the honesty of Alice Munro, and a unique blend of rebellious humor and melancholy, Berlin works wonders with the material of everyday insignificance. Through her stories, featuring heroines who are called upon to navigate life on their own, a world emerges in constant motion, full of colors, scents, and flavors, a world that, despite the occasional sorrow it may cause us, will always surprise and captivate us.