"The Last Lovely City: Stories"

I have mentioned before that I enjoy the late San Francisco writer Alice Adams' fiction. I read most of her fiction in the 1980s and 1990s, but haven't read much of her work for some years now. However, on a recent trip, I re-read one of her short story collections, "The Last Lovely City" (Washington Square Press, 1999), and thoroughly enjoyed it. I admit I took it partly because it is a slim paperback that I picked up at the library sale, perfect for slipping into my carry-on bag for the airplane. But reading Adams' work again reminded me how beautifully she writes. She makes it look effortless, so much so that her work is in danger of being undervalued. But besides loving the gorgeous descriptions of San Francisco (where I work) and Marin County (where I live), I was impressed by her portrayals of strong but understated women. Her women characters are mostly middle-aged, and almost always middle or upper middle class, sometimes with professional careers (for example, one main character who appears in several stories is a psychiatrist) and/or sometimes married to men with professional careers. They live comfortably. Some might dismiss them for those reasons. But Adams does not allow us to label or stereotype these women. They are not perfect by any means; however, they endure difficulties but (mostly) take them in stride, make a minimum of fuss, and get on with their lives. They live through love affairs, breakups, marriages, divorces, moves, and other life changes. Adams writes about these with great insight but with a very light touch. I am now planning to go back and re-read some of her other fiction.