Strange Nervous Laughter - Tapa dura

You'll not find six more remarkable characters: a cashier-turned motivational speaker, an undertaker with a toenail fetish, a girl wrapped in dreams, a man who communicates with whales, a garbage man with a peculiar sense of smell, and a "Guinness Book of World Records" representative. When a random hold-up at a local grocery brings them together, their once separate lives intertwine in a humorous blend of lyricism, whimsy and wit. This is a rare book about what love does to us, how our lives are changed by being in love - and the odd ways in which we sometimes behave. Up-and-coming novelist McNulty shows herself to be a writer to watch.

BRIDGET MCNULTY spends her days writing, reading and drinking tea, and has become an avid blogger. She now lives in Cape Town and works for "Real Simple "magazine. This is her first novel.