"A moving work that demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the human condition." ​
Kirkus
Starred Review
“In capturing these observations and bringing them to life, Maureen Aitken has produced a masterpiece..."
Diane C. Donovan
Senior Reviewer / Midwest Book Review
"Aitken... where her ever more powerful brew of sharp comedy and sharper pathos almost — almost — prepares us for her heartbreaking last chapter."
Ellen Akins
Star Tribune Reviewer
"A beautifully produced, engaging homage."

— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"While no story’s completeness requires ghost images to bleed through, the final one could never be the masterpiece it is without them."
Linda Thorlakson
Starred Review from Foreword
" Aitken's The Patron Saint of Lost Girls is a moving examination of the complex emotions that come along with womanhood, poverty, and growing up in an unforgiving world ... Each story can stand on its own, but together they paint an unforgettable work of art." ​
Téa Franco
Heavy Feather Review
The author has done a brilliant job of exploring the human condition... ​

Maureen Aitken

Maureen Aitken’s multi-award winning short story collection will be reissued by Wayne State University in September. Her stories have been published widely in journals such as Prairie Schooner and New Letters. Most recently, her story was a finalist for The Missouri Review’s Perkoff Prize and will be published there. She teaches writing at the University of Minnesota.