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Ruth Bonapace’s comic novel, The Bulgarian Training Manual (Clash Books), lampoons our culture of fitness, fad diets, self-improvement and internal yammering.

It tells the story of working class Tina in her quest to find her true parents and jeans that fit. With the help of a mysterious book with magical powers Tina embarks on an Oz-like journey. 

Meg Wolitzer described the novel as “inventive, surreal and powered by the unexpected.”  Publishers Weekly called it “a whimsical delight.” Kirkus Reviews said it is “an absurd romp through modern culture.” And Elle magazine named it a 2024 top summer read. 

Bonapace earned an MFA from Stony Brook University after a career in journalism, including two years covering sports she loathes like the NFL but never the New York Yankees, which she adores. Her work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Newsday, The Southampton Review and The Saturday Evening Post. She is a two-time finalist in the annual American Writer’s Review.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in the burbs, she is a former New York State Agriculture Writer of the Year, who turned down a job with The American Dairy Association. This is her first novel.