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Title details for The Delight of Being Ordinary by Roland Merullo - Available

The Delight of Being Ordinary

A Road Trip with the Pope and the Dalai Lama

by Roland Merullo
P.J. Ochlan
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
What happens when the Pope and the Dalai Lama decide they need a secret vacation?
 
Roland Merullo’s playful, eloquent, and life-affirming novel finds the world’s two holiest men teaming up for an unsanctioned road trip through the Italian countryside—where they rediscover the everyday joys and challenges of ordinary life.
 
During the Dalai Lama’s highly publicized official visit to the Vatican, the Pope suggests an adventure so unexpected and appealing that neither man can resist: they will shed their robes for several days and live as ordinary men. Before dawn, the two beloved religious leaders make a daring escape from Vatican City, slip into a waiting car, and are soon traveling the Italian roads in disguise. Along for the ride is the Pope’s neurotic cousin and personal assistant, Paolo, who—to his terror— has been put in charge of arranging the details of their disappearance. Rounding out the group is Paolo’s estranged wife, Rosa, an eccentric entrepreneur with a lust for life, who orchestrates the sublime disguises of each man. Rosa is a woman who cannot resist the call to adventure—or the fun.
 
Against a landscape of good humor, intrigue, and spiritual fulfillment, The Delight of Being Ordinary showcases the uniquely charming sensibilities of author Roland Merullo. Part whimsical expedition, part love story, part spiritual search, this uplifting novel brings warmth and laughter to the universal concerns of family life, religious inspiration, and personal identity—all of which combine to transcend cultural and political barriers in the name of a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 11, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781524751852
      • File size: 385492 KB
      • Duration: 13:23:06

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Imagine the pope and the Dalai Lama making a temporary escape from their regimented lives by hitting the open road in Italy with an estranged married couple. Intriguing, right? What would they talk about? Where would they go? How would it end? Though the makings of a provocative listen are there, the experience is undermined by P.J. Ochlan's disappointing narration. His Italian and Tibetan accents are inconsistent, and his performance of the Dalai Lama borders on caricature. Also, his female characterizations play to exaggerated stereotypes. The story itself offers much to listeners who are open to debates about orthodoxy, morality, and the business of living. That said, reading a text copy may be a better option. A.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 13, 2017
      Drawing from his previous road trip series, Merullo (Breakfast with Buddha) weaves a quirky but uplifting story in which Paolo de Padova, first assistant and cousin to Pope Francis, is asked to whisk away the pope and the visiting Dalai Lama on a clandestine vacation. Paolo’s estranged wife Rosa tags along for the ride, providing the two religious leaders with disguises to prevent their being recognized. They travel the Italian countryside, inadvertently following the path of the last days of Mussolini, raising questions about spiritual progress, identities of religions, corruptibility, and more. The emotional core of the story lies in the dissonance between Paolo’s spiritual ideals and his ordinary state of being. An incessant worrywart who believes he is right, Paolo must learn the greater lessons that the religious leaders and the road trip attempt to impart: how to accept the unexpected, to know that one is not always right, and to be humble enough to realize one’s blind spots. Merullo’s newest is a thoughtful, compassionate, and mature work, a “Christian-
      Buddhist-agnostic prayer” to the world, and readers will find a pleasant surprise in its conclusion.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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