Heaven Is Small - by Emily Schultz (Paperback)

About the Book

"Moments after his death, an event he had failed to notice, Gordon Small sought new employment." So begins "Heaven Is Small, " the funny, startling, and profound story of Gordon Small, a degree-clutching slacker and failed fiction writer who finds himself posthumously employed at the Heaven Book Company, the world's largest romance publisher. As it slowly dawns on Gordon that he may have missed his chance for greatness -- and perhaps worse, may be trapped in an airless limbo -- he embarks on a mission that will redeem him, revive his writing career, and bring the monotonous machinery of the afterlife to a screeching halt. With sly deadpan humor, brilliant insight into the human condition, and exceptionally beautiful writing, Emily Schultz explores what it means to be truly alive only after you're dead.

Book Synopsis

Award-winning author and poet Emily Schultz offers an immensely readable, funny, and sharp novel about a man who works for a Harlequin-like publisher, and gradually discovers that he has arrived in "heaven." Like Will Ferguson's international bestseller, Happiness, Heaven is Small is a smart, satirical novel from one of our best.

Heaven is Small is the funny, layered, startling, and profound story of Gordon Small, a degree-clutching slacker and failed fiction writer. Gordon is also, we discover in the first paragraph, recently deceased - although this is "an event he failed to notice." When Gordon finds himself suddenly employed at the Heaven Book Company, the world's largest romance publisher, he begins to notice that something is odd: his routines within the company's walls, though familiar in some respects, have taken on a strange cast - stranger than is usual in the average suburban office.

With sly deadpan humour, brilliant insight into the human condition, and exceptionally beautiful writing, Schultz explores what it means to be truly alive only after you're dead.

Review Quotes

Don't let the presence of the grim reaper scare you: Heaven is Small is a fantastical comedy.-- "Weekend Post"

. . . an enjoyable, fast-paced ride . . . nothing can beat Schultz's frenetic, surprising, and genuinely funny writing.--Naomi K Lewis "Fiddlehead"

...captivating...hilarious...seems tailor-made for a Hollywood adaptation.-- "Flare"

[Emily] Schultz's voice is stronger than ever, her storytelling tighter and her writing still replete with those trademark ziplines, surprising little protons of description that vault the reader into Schultz's unique narrative universe.-- "Globe and Mail"

A cleverly inspired, strikingly fresh stroke of narrative acuity. You won't be anle to put this one down.--Lisa Foad "Herizons Magazine"

Heaven is Small marks a big league jump for Schultz that could translate into wide mainstream appeal.-- "Broken Pencil"

In her comic novel Heaven is Small, Toronto author Emily Schultz takes a light-hearted approach to the hereafter.-- "Catholic Register"

Schultz has created a delightful cast of lost souls...Heaven is Small is a keen examination of life and the afterlife, brimming with intelligence and wit.-- "Quill & Quire"

Schultz's latest is a satire of office life, romance novels, and afterlife narratives. She has accomplished something quite remarkable here, deftly juggling all this social commentary and a rather blandly sympathetic protagonist with a sharp command of language.-- "Publishers Weekly"