Join us for a book launch with Roland Merullo, author of the novel Dessert with Buddha, on Thursday, May 18th at 7pm!
This event will take place at the historic Exeter Town Hall, just across from the bookstore. Registration is *still* not required for this event. If you have questions, call us at (603) 778-9731. There is plenty of seating at the Town Hall so no need to arrive especially early, though the balcony remains closed.
Dessert with Buddha takes the eccentric monk, Volya Rinpoche, and his skeptical, brother-in-law, Otto, on another enlightening road trip filled with meals, humor, social commentary, and good times. The couple that traveled from New York to North Dakota in Breakfast with Buddha, Seattle to North Dakota in Lunch, and North Dakota to Vegas in Dinner heads from Boston to points south. They meet an array of intriguing characters--from a former NBA star to a Holocaust survivor, from an A.M.E. preacher to a hedge fund executive, from a Syrian refugee to a homeless North Carolinian--tour famous American sights, and enjoy the kinds of conversations about spirituality that have engrossed hundreds of thousands of readers from China to Turkey to Croatia, and in every U.S. state. Otto's sister, Cecelia, his daughter Natasha, son Anthony, and niece Shelsa, all have roles in the story, as the famous duo pilots a hybrid pickup along back roads and superhighways, toward the series' climactic finish.
"I wrote Dessert," Merullo says "so that it can be enjoyed as a standalone, or after having read the other three novels. I wanted this one to be a testament to the kind of generosity I grew up with, a full-souled selflessness, an antidote to greed."
Dessert with Buddha enhances the series the way a delicious dish of ice cream or slice of homemade pie enhances a great meal. Enjoy the trip!
"Merullo delivers a spirituality-themed road novel set in modern-day America...Rinpoche proves a thoroughly pleasant companion and Otto is engaging...An insightful and playful journey."
--Kirkus Reviews
Roland Merullo is the bestselling author of twenty-five works of fiction and nonfiction, including From These Broken Streets; Once Night Falls; The Delight of Being Ordinary; The Talk-Funny Girl, an Alex Award winner; Vatican Waltz, a Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2013 pick; Breakfast with Buddha, an international bestseller; Lunch with Buddha, selected as one of the Best Books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews; Revere Beach Boulevard, a Boston Globe Top 100 Essential Books of New England pick; and Revere Beach Elegy, winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for Nonfiction. Born in Boston and raised in Revere, Massachusetts, Roland earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Russian language and literature at Brown University. A former Peace Corps volunteer, he has also made his living as a carpenter, college professor, and cabdriver. Roland writes a weekly essay series called On the Plus Side and lives in the hills of western Massachusetts with his family. For more information, visit www.rolandmerullo.com.
