The Bulgarian Training Manual

Bonapace debuts with a bold if messy narrative of a woman’s obsessive quest for self-improvement. Cristina Bontempi, nicknamed Tina, is a struggling New Jersey realtor who spends a lot of time at the gym. Big Steve, her fellow gym rat and friend with benefits, hands Tina the eponymous workout guide and swears her to secrecy. Intrigued, Tina sets out to uncover the origins of the book, which purports to hold the secrets of Bulgaria’s strongest powerlifters. A series of strange encounters ensues, as Tina comes into contact with the Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, a shady outfit selling dangerously addictive communion wafers, and with a man wearing a shearling hat who follows her everywhere. Tina’s quest eventually leads her to Bulgaria, where she learns more about the book, and the narrative heads toward a hilarious climax involving a gangster gym syndicate and Tina’s launch of a Poetry Body Slam (“I can do this. We can do this. For every goddamn soul whose Lava Lamp dreams have been dimmed but not exploded,” she declares). While the pacing is sometimes slowed by excessive flashbacks, Tina’s zany voice offers plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. This is a whimsical delight. (June)