Publisher's Synopsis
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. 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 definitely knows how to write." -- New York Literary Magazine "This novel offers a paradigm of struggle between faith and the secular world... A demanding but rewarding religious story." -- Kirkus Reviews
