The unnamed narrator, ingenuous yet unflappable, is the 32-year-old daughter of Polish immigrants who throughout life have slathered her in Vicks and mild exasperation. Still living under her parents’ roof, she is abandoned not at the altar but for the altar as her fiance leaves her for the priesthood. Attempting to sell her engagement ring through the newspaper classifieds, she meets a string of browsers, and her future.
Reviews
USA Today
Rich with an unusual sweetness, the novel perfectly captures small-town Polish-American life.
© Copyright USA Today.
Glamour
Shea’s wry yet warm rendering of a community where strong mothers rule and meek daughters find creative ways to rebel is satisfying on many levels.
© Copyright Glamour.
Washington Post Book World
Selling the Lite of Heaven is an odd and assured first novel and a wonderful coming-of-age story. I can’t imagine a single reader who will be disappointed. This novel is a charmer, and so, no matter how ‘unremarkable’ she thinks herself, is the narrator.
© Copyright Washington Post Book World.
The Boston Sunday Globe
The author’s affection for what are clearly her own roots breaks like winter sun through the deadpan gloom, giving the story its undeniable offbeat charm.’ ‘
© Copyright The Boston Sunday Globe.
Suzanne Strempek Shea 