The Wrong Heaven

''Incredibly fun to read but also full of these frank and wise observations that stuck in my head long after'' Aimee Bender, bestselling author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon CakeIn The Wrong Heaven, Amy Bonnaffons draws us into a delightfully strange universe, in which her conflicted characters seek to solve their sexual and spiritual dilemmas in all the wrong places. The title story''s heroine reckons with grief while arguing with Jesus and Mary lawn ornaments that come to life when she plugs them in. In "Horse", we enter a world in which women transform themselves into animals through a series of medical injections. In "Alternate", a young woman convinces herself that all she needs to revive a stagnant relationship is the perfect poster of the Dalai Lama.Intelligent, wry and crackling with energy, The Wrong Heaven is a stunning debut collection about the subtle mysteries beneath the surface of our lives and our power to transform. ''Bonnaffons dazzles and cuts with ten hilarious and cathartic short stories . . . Resonant of Alissa Nutting''s novels and George Saunders''s Pastoralia, Bonnaffons''s first collection presents a powerful and fresh new voice'' Booklist ''Goofy, poignant, and edged with the fantastic, the stories in Bonnaffons''s debut collection initially surprise, then turn into one long, delicious rush. Not just fun but full of smart ideas'' Library Journal