God in a Box by Theresa Crater

Stacey gets a ticket to heaven. But restrictions apply. After spending her life savings to fly to Europe and become a meditation teacher, Stacey is told to go home. Lesbians are not welcome. She’s lost the love of her life already. Will she lose the other half of her dreams now? It’s the early 1970s. On a lark, Stacey Carmichael attends a lecture about meditation from one of those new Indian gurus who have suddenly appeared everywhere. Intrigued in spite of her skepticism, she learns to meditate— and has the experience of a lifetime. Delighted, Stacey pursues this new path, tasting the possibility of enlightenment, becoming at peace with herself, opening the doors of her own perception. Stacey decides to become a teacher of meditation herself—and then the human side of this organization rears its ugly head. Lesbians need not apply. Leave your partner, become a celibate, and then we’ll see. How can she give up this meditation that has given her so much? But how can she give up who she really is?