Skip to main content
book cover for Next Stop: The Afterlife

Next Stop: The Afterlife

Unveiling the Truth of Heaven and Hell with C. S. Lewis's The Great Divorce

You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now

Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app


1

To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.

2

Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.

Pub Date Jan 23 2026 | Archive Date Not set


Talking about this book? Use #NextStopTheAfterlife #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

What if heaven were more real than earth—and hell only a shadow by comparison?

In The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis paints a bold, imaginative picture of the afterlife—a bus ride from the bleak, joyless “grey town” of hell or purgatory to the outskirts of heaven. There, the passengers—ghostly souls—must choose whether to leave behind their sins and illusions or return to the familiar misery they’ve known. Through a series of vivid encounters, Lewis reveals the eternal consequences of our choices, the attachments that hold us back, and the dazzling possibility of heaven.

In Next Stop: The Afterlife, Catholic theology professor Andrew Swafford—author of Lunatic, Liar, or Lord—brings C. S. Lewis’s classic to life, revealing how it speaks powerfully to our spiritual journey today. Whether or not you’ve read The Great Divorce—an allegorical story about souls who choose their path to eternity—this compelling guide will renew your hope and stir your longing for heaven. With clarity, reverence, and rich theological insight, Swafford invites you to walk alongside the “ghosts” from the grey town—ordinary people wrestling with the decision to cling to sin or step into the transforming light of God’s love. Along the way, you’ll meet unforgettable characters, confront your own spiritual battles, and discover the fierce, patient love of a God who wants to make you free, whole, and more fully alive.

Drawing from years of teaching and a deeply Catholic imagination, Swafford explores

•the vivid insights C. S. Lewis offers into heaven, hell, and the eternal stakes of our everyday decisions;

•joy, intimacy, and beauty in this life as mere glimpses of the glory that awaits;

•the way our deepest desires hint at a longing that only God can fulfill;

•parallels between C. S. Lewis’s vision and the wisdom of saints like Augustine and John Paul II;

•the spiritual and moral struggles we face—and how to respond with courage and hope.

Accessible for longtime C. S. Lewis fans and first-time readers alike, Next Stop: The Afterlife is more than a companion to The Great Divorce—it’s a stirring call to live with eternity in view and heaven as our true home.

Step aboard the bus. Let go of what weighs you down. Journey toward the Mountain.

What if heaven were more real than earth—and hell only a shadow by comparison?

In The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis paints a bold, imaginative picture of the afterlife—a bus ride from the bleak...


Advance Praise

“C. S. Lewis once said, ‘If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.’ Lewis’s The Great Divorce is an incredible journey into the afterlife, and Dr. Swafford is the perfect person in this present world to be your guide. Don’t miss this opportunity to live the truths of the next life in your life today.”
Kevin Cotter
Head of studios at Hallow

The Great Divorce is such a beautiful and theologically rich book, and it is a delight to have Andrew Swafford walk us through all of its nuances. Swafford not only gives us deeper insights into the meaning of this impactful story but also offers wisdom on how these lessons of virtue can be lived out in our daily lives as Catholics!”
Jackie Angel
Catholic speaker and author of Memorize Scripture

“C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce is so rich and profound that one hesitates to recommend any book about it, given that rereading The Great Divorce itself is generally far better. But Andrew Swafford has done the seemingly impossible. By describing the conversations that structure The Great Divorce and then delivering his own insights, in dialogue with other thinkers such as Tolkien and Karol Wojtyła, Swafford calls us to the life of ego-renouncing virtue and invites us to say yes to God and heavenly life in the present moment, in the midst of the sufferings that tempt us toward vice and self-destruction. A marvelous spiritual guidebook!”
Matthew Levering
James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake

“Faith and love are the subjects of many sermons and books. Hope, on the other hand, is glossed over. No one talks about it. At last, a book appears that will stand in the breach and discuss heaven in a way that will make everybody excited to go there. In Next Stop: The Afterlife, Andrew Swafford, with the help of C. S. Lewis, shows us how the earthly pleasures we are so often attached to are no more than faint glimmers of the glory, beauty, and joy to come. All preachers, teachers, and, indeed, all Christians must read this book.”
Marcellino D’Ambrosio
Catholic author and international speaker

“I consider Dr. Andrew Swafford to be many things: a trusted friend, a virtuous husband and father, and a remarkable theologian. After reading Next Stop: The Afterlife, I have added 'master catechist' to that list. Unpacking, The Great Divorce, one of the most underrated books (in my opinion) of the twentieth century, is no small task; but Swafford has done a masterful job of taking complex theological realities and—like C. S. Lewis himself—making them profoundly simple. This book is a gift, a road map, and a companion to help guide us not just through a great Christian classic but straight to heaven. Filled with practical wisdom, invaluable insights, and humble reminders, this book serves as an arrow pointing our moral compasses directly back to the arms of our heavenly Father.”
Mark Hart
Chief innovation officer at Life Teen International

“C. S. Lewis once said, ‘If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.’ Lewis’s The Great Divorce is an...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781646804092
PRICE $17.95 (USD)
PAGES 160

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (PDF)
NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)
Download (PDF)