The Delight of Being Ordinary, Roland Merullo
The Delight of Being Ordinary, Roland Merullo
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The Delight of Being Ordinary
A Road Trip with the Pope and the Dalai Lama

Author: Roland Merullo

Narrator: P.J. Ochlan

Unabridged: 13 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/11/2017


Synopsis

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.

About Roland Merullo

Roland Merullo is the critically acclaimed author of several books, both fiction and nonficton, including the Revere Beach trilogy, three novels about growing up in a tight-knit community outside Boston, and Golfing with God, a novel about a man's unexpected spiritual journey. Born in Boston, he graduated from Brown University, where he also earned a Master's degree in Russian Language and Literature. Roland's memoir, Revere Beach Elegy, won the 2000 Massachusetts Book Award for Non-Fiction, and his essays have appeared in the New York Times, Reader's Digest, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, among other publications. He lives with his wife and two daughters in eastern Massachusetts.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Marjorie on December 02, 2017

What a spot Paolo has been put in. His cousin, none other than the Pope himself, has asked Paolo to smuggle him and his visitor, the Dalai Lama, out of the Vatican so they can spend some time being ordinary men. That means getting past all of their security guards and disguising their much-too-well-......more

Goodreads review by Tiff on January 31, 2023

I want to start by saying something that could offend or cause debate but that's OK... I am a spiritual person but not religious. I don't care if you are, we're all on our own journey in this life. I will never judge you based on your beliefs and I can only hope the same in return. That being said, I......more

Goodreads review by Roger on August 05, 2017

Ecumenical Whimsy I am thinking of starting a new bookshelf, labeled "whimsy." It would contain The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an IKEA Wardrobe, The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, quite possibly The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and quite a few books by Alexander McCall......more

Goodreads review by Bam cooks the books on December 14, 2017

During an historic meeting between the Pope and the Dalai Lama in Rome, the two holy men decide to break away and travel incognito around the Italian countryside. The Pope enlists the help of his cousin, Paolo, with his estranged wife, Rosa, a hairstylist who provides the make-up and disguises to ma......more

Goodreads review by Randal on November 28, 2016

Blew My Mind! Imagine if the Pope and the Dalai Lama, together, escaped their entourages and embarked on a tour of the Italian countryside. No minders, no press, completely incognito. That is the very interesting premise of this book. Their experiences range from the ordinary to the extraordinary. T......more


Quotes

"The Delight of Being Ordinary is a thrilling book, a rip-roaring, risk-taking literary tour de force that kept me up late and moved me deeply.  Bursting with laughter and suffused with the divine comedy of the human condition, the story makes our complicated  world seem a broader, more generous place. In this ultimate celebrity road trip, Merullo has written a love story for our times."  
—Susan Cheever, author of Home Before Dark

"Another genre-defying installment in Merullo's engaging series of seriocomic religious novels . . . Admirers of previous volumes will recognize Merullo's knack for depicting goodness without treacle in his deft portraits of the pope and the Dalai Lama, and a La Dolce Vita-esque party scene spotlights his ability to discern humanity in the most decadent circumstances…. moving and unnerving . . . Lucid, unpretentious fiction spotlighting the drama of trying to make the divine part of our everyday lives."
Kirkus, starred review

"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 . . . 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."
Publishers Weekly

“Whimsical and irreverent, Merullo’s parable meanders through divine doctrines and human relationships, attaining insights where least expected . . . A charming story celebrating connections over divisions that will especially thrill devotees of Merullo’s Buddha Trilogy”
Booklist