Heaven or Hell? by Samuel Ludke

A thought-provoking work of visionary fiction, Heaven or Hell? by Samuel Ludke takes readers into a literary purgatory where a man must make heartbreaking choices. A Civil War soldier fleeing the violence of war finds himself at death’s door, and the door of a mysterious church, where his eternal fate can finally be decided. In this extended and philosophical metaphor, the author plays delicately with the ideas of death, memory, responsibility, and redemption, while also creating an engaging narrative that rarely feels preachy. Some scenes and ideas are compressed or rushed, and could be expanded beyond a novella, but this straightforward tale of grief, resilience, and fatherhood makes for a spiritually nourishing read.