So Long by Lucia Berlin

"How are you?"

This is my first 5-start review for a Lucia Berlin story and it probably won't be the last!

In "So Long", the narrator's complicated and tumultuous adult life is condensed into a few pages with such stark realism and compassion. The autobiographical details are spliced into a series of flashbacks. In some cases, major life events are summed up in one quick sentence or short paragraph and never mentioned again. There is a frantic energy as she jumps from one anecdote to the next with the story events rendered through a sympathetic narrative voice. Her genuine sincerity and wry sense of humor enrich the emotional depth of the story. 

Life is messy and full of constant challenges. Yet, even in moments of great sadness there is also joy. This recurring interplay is beautifully articulated by the narrator as "Times of intense technicolor happiness and times that were sordid and frightening." The narrative unfolds across multiple decades, showcasing her resilience through a myriad of life experiences: love, heartbreak, failed marriages, affairs, financial setbacks, battles with alcoholism, drug addiction, raising kids, relocating across states and different countries, aging, estranged parents, sisterhood, grappling with illness, and confronting the inevitability of death. Despite the intense subject matter, the story never feels overwhelming or becomes perpetually bleak. The heartbreak is always counterbalanced with humor and tenderness. Lucia Berlin skillfully distills the essence of an entire lifetime into a concise narrative, an achievement that can only be described as nothing short of miraculous.