The cover of 'As Bright as Heaven' - along with the synopsis, and the historical time period the novel is set in - immediately drew me into wanting more. Having read enough to get a first impression, I have to say I am not sure how I feel about the present-tense narration or the sometimes flowery writing of the opening paragraphs (especially the way the author described colors), but having finished the opening excerpt I can definitely say that in just four pages the book shows a lot of promise, and I am eager to find the narrator and her family to Philadelphia, where both the specter and business of Death seem only to potentially intensify.