| The nine stories in this debut collection are connected by their portrayals of people who deceive themselves or others. With polished prose, Becker writes in the very American tradition of realism. Searching beneath surface for complexity and compassion, she discovers elevated motives and heroic aspirations in her characters. The lies they tell unwittingly reveal profound truths.
The publication of this book is made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council from an appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature.
“These wonderful stories take us into the homes of strangers and lovers where disguise
and sincerity are sometimes, mysteriously, almost the same thing. Her stories
are wise, beautifully written, and haunting.”—Charles Baxter
“Leslee Becker writes hard-edged fiction, deeply felt and never sentimental. Her
characters are often odd and warped, factory irregulars, but she writes about
them with humor and compassion and love.”—John L'Heureux
“An entertaining debut collection, often quite reminiscent of Raymond Carver's
work, about quiet, decent people undercut by their faulty images of
themselves.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The nine stories that make up Leslee Becker's debut collection, The Sincere
Cafe, are tightly crafted, fine stories. Most are sprinkled with Becker's
wry humor, and all are conveyed through her beautiful prose style and eye for
unusual detail. We readers often find ourselves in the borderland of
consciousness between memory and instinct and desire in these stories. They are
memorable stories whose well-rounded characters are our neighbors, our friends,
our family members, ourselves. The stories leave us wanting to hear more from this
fine writer. If her debut collection is any indication of what she's capable
of, we've got a good deal to look forward to from Leslee Becker.”—Prairie
Schooner
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