"Joy - heart-swelling, button-bursting, exhilarating, uplifting, exuberant joy - is at the centre of Margaret Gunning's first novel, BETTER THAN LIFE. The details, the turns of phrase, the sharp observances that evoke both place and characters in a small town in Ontario at the end of the 1960s, are infused with a sense of lightness and humour that borders on the divine. Redemption overrides judgement every time in this carefully crafted novel, and Gunning manages to illuminate that which is dark and secret with that which is rich and riotous in colour. She is an author able to open up the world of a fractured but seeking people and bring them into light, healing and hope. BETTER THAN LIFE is fiction at its finest."

- The Edmonton Journal

"Margaret Gunning is a name that will be recognized by many. The Port Coquitlam writer's articles, poems, and short fiction have appeared in many publications, including the Sun. And with her debut novel, Better Than Life, her career has just moved up a notch. . . As Anderson-Dargatz did with her town of Likely and Stephen Leacock did with Mariposa, Gunning has created a fictional place that's recognizable to anyone who has ever lived in a small town. . . This delightful novel looks like a contender for the Leacock Medal. It may be just the book to bring some light into the room as the grey days of the rainy season settle in."

- The Vancouver Sun

“Margaret Gunning’s first novel sustains (a) wry tone through more than 200 pages, blending darkly comic realism with measures of rollicking whimsy and broad satire. Gunning does period ambience with a minimum of well-chosen references. Her expressive turns can spur shivers of pleasure. It’s a book that seduces quickly, then pulls you happily through an afternoon.”

- The Globe and Mail