In the late 1970s, self-assured Stephen O'Connell escapes small-town culture to seek a new life elsewhere where fresh ideas-and people, like the brilliant anti-feminist Madeleine Benson, musical genius Bryce, and earthy Julie-pull his soul in opposing directions. 'By chance' he prevents the murder of a Ugandan refugee, catapulting him irrevocably into a world of both need and danger. Black-and-white thinking is of no help to Stephen when he encounters the blood-red reality of violence in East Africa as a project developer some years later. On the edge of the Rwandan genocide, he must confront the demons of tribal violence and his own checkered past. When a case of mistaken identity nearly destroys his career, he must start afresh in a 'civilized' place where safety remains elusive. It is not the events themselves, but a healing relationship that moves Stephen from despair to hope, and gets him past the 'wrong side' of eternity. The Wrong Side of Eternity offers a deeply personal view of how people with very different perspectives respond to and deal with suffering. Comparable to books like The Poisonwood Bible and The Constant Gardener, Mary Mendenhall's sweeping passion narrative depicts grim reality without giving in to hopelessness and despair. Winner of 4 literary awards:
Pinnacle Achievement Award for Historical Fiction
Best Book Award + Book Excellence Award: finalist for multi-cultural fiction
Maincrest Media Award for Multi-Cultural Fiction
Reviews:
"This story empowers us to connect." -- M. Tudor, artist
"Masterfully written and well-conceived, The Wrong Side of Eternity is an important, thought-provoking novel with staying power. Mendenhall skilfully layers powerful dramatic details into this emotionally-stirring tale. Both the setting and complex characters are vividly drawn and believable, making for an engrossing read. Mendenhall definitely knows how to write."
- NY Literary Magazine
"This novel offers a paradigm of struggle between faith and the secular world... A demanding but rewarding religious story." -- Kirkus Reviews
Ranging from the African continent's blazing sun to the wave-caressed shores of America's West Coast, two different worlds and the people who sometimes occupy both are explored in this novel's examination of relationships, religion, and life. Author Mendenhall weaves the disparate stories of these souls together inventively as they share the highs and lows of life. From triumphs to tragedies, their private thoughts and public behaviors are revealed dramatically through the author's use of engaging prose and believable dialogue. While she unspools her characters' physical fate, she also illuminates each of her major player's particular relationship with God and the role belief has in guiding one's life instead of merely coping with it. This is not the kind of novel one finds a lot of these days, making it the kind of novel worth finding. - Joe Kilgore, The US Review of Books
