For decades, Piercy's work has fascinated, flabbergasted, intrigued, angered, and shocked readers, but it is rarely overlooked. As a young writer, Piercy had trouble publishing her fiction and poetry because of its controversial nature—1950s America was not ready for it. However, the 1960s ushered in a new American era. Suddenly, Piercy's views on feminism, racism, and politics were shared by a great number of people. Critics began taking her work seriously and, for over thirty years since, have lauded her work for its powerful voice, striking metaphors, and direct address of contentious subjects that some writers avoid.

In Judaism, critic Steven P. Schneider writes:

Piercy displays the full range of her voice and poetic imagination in The Art of Blessing the Day. Although she claims that being a woman and a Jew is "sometimes more / of a contradiction than I can sweat out," she shows...