With the new millennium approaching, the eccentric town of Thebes grows even stranger. Mrs. Leontina Scales begins speaking in tongues after being clocked by a Catholic statuette. Her daughter, Tabitha, and her sons scheme to save their mother or surrender her to Jesus—whatever comes first. Meanwhile, choir director Jeremy Carr, caught between lust and ambition, fumbles his way toward Y2K. The ancient Sisters of the Sorrowful Mysteries join with a gay singing group. The Radical Radiants battle the Catholics. A Christmas pageant goes horribly awry. And a child is born. Only a modern master like Gregory Maguire could spin a tale as frantic, funny, and farcical as The Next Queen of Heaven.
Jackie says:
'This is very interesting book, and very different from his other books. This time there is no re-writing a fairy tale--it's straight up fiction. What IS the same is his deft, and often humorous, crafting of his characters and the situations they find themselves in. The story is kick started by Leotina Scales, single mother of 3 variously troubled teenagers, getting knocked out by a teetering statue of the Virgin Mary in the basement of a Catholic Church--in which she is NOT a member. When she wakes up, she's definitely a different person, and the rest of the book is pretty much how members of her family, two churches, and others in town go about dealing with the change along with their own problems. Religious rivalries, lechery, closeted homosexuality, AIDS, teen pregnancy, ancient cloistered nuns and music are all part of the deal in very amusing way. Yet, while entertaining, there is a serious underlying theme of finding yourself and being true to that self. It's rather a busy read with so many characters doing so many things, but a very enjoyable one."
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