Blue in Chicago

The work of a woman who has invested her life in her art, and who will, I think be remembered as one of the significant writers of her generation.Saul Bellow

She holds the city's humanity in an uneasy but affectionate embrace, and her voice is unlike any other. Fiercely straightforward, honest, angry, warmhearted.New York Times

Her prose is cooler than a cocktail and sharper than a Japanese knife. It’s zippy, witty and sometimes deeply sad: Nora Ephron meets Lorrie Moore, which is about as good as it gets.Rachel Cooke, Observer

We should be glad to have her back . . . Howland also has the pinpoint vision that can make any sentence into a jewel you’d be proud to put on display.John Self, The Times