On March 15, 1990, members of the Church Universal and Triumphant went down into their underground shelters to wait for the Soviet nuclear strike their prophet had predicted. The next morning they emerged to a world unchanged. In Peter Rock's new novel he explores issues of spirituality and faith through the story of a girl who grew up in this group. Like his first novel, My Abandonment, Rock has created characters who stay with you long after you put the book down, and has skillfully raised questions that you will debate with friends and family. The Shelter Cycle is a literary answer to our society's obsession with end-of-the-world scenarios, and I hope you will have a chance to experience its genius. - Sarah B