"Her style is deceptively simple and direct, and the vale of tears in which her characters reside is never so deep that a rich chuckle at a foolish person's foolishness cannot be heard." -- Alice Walker "Cooper's stories beckon. It's as if she is patting the seat next to her, enticing us to come sit and listen as she tells complex tales about women, often poor women, chasing dreams of love, a house, and a family." -- Ms. "[Cooper] tells stories that move and dance about people who pop off the page to lodge themselves firmly in the reader's affection." - Publishers Weekly "Cooper is humorous, wise, self-deprecating, and always expressive.her stories are about simple truths told with great energy that makes them shine." -- Kirkus Reviews "The stories are wonderful, very human tales that sparkle with warmth, humor, and often, revernge.

" -- Library Journal "Cooper's stories dramatize the wages of sin and the rewards of patience, as well as the occasional sweet taste of revenge." -- Chicago Tribune "Cooper knows how to 'talk' her stories to us, as though each of them is told by a kindly and concerned friend. The sound of them is lovely, memorable, haunting." -- San Francisco Chronicle.