Hallelujah Side

"It had been a Second Coming sky all day, which meant they might be in heaven by this evening." So begins the story of Roxanne Fish, daughter of Sister Zelda Fish and Pastor Winston Fish of the First Assembly of God Church of Ames, Iowa. The Fishes' older daughter, Colleen, wants no part of their exuberant faith, but Roxy longs to be saved even as she fears her sinful desires, such as marrying Elvis Presley when she grows up. If she grows up. Roxy lives in a world populated by demons who follow her around whispering "God doesn't like you" and sinners who fortunately are easy to identify by their makeup and knowledge of television programs. Her soul's journey through this wicked world to her own particular salvation -- with an assist from the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin -- is unforgettable.