Dinner with Buddha: A Novel

Roland Merullo

Apr 2025 · Hachette+ORM

About this ebook

"With six unconventionally religious novels to date, this brave, meditative author has carved a unique niche in American literature." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

If life is a journey—with detours, paths from which to choose, and myriad roadblocks to overcome—then Otto Ringling is most certainly on the journey of a lifetime. His first fifty or so years were pretty good. He felt he had it all, until one day he didn't.

Seeking understanding, he calls on Volya Rinpoche, a wise man and spiritual leader. A man who accepts the world as it comes to him, a man without pride or vanity. But Rinpoche, as it turns out, is experiencing his own time of doubt. In hopes of finding answers to life's mysteries, the two embark on a journey through America, an amusing and enlightening road trip that becomes a lesson in love and gratitude.

"Merullo offers keen insight into and intelligent assessments of modern American life, but it is his compassionate portrait of a grieving Otto in search of inner tranquility that is most affecting." — Booklist "Otto is such a full human, which is why we can empathize with his questions and immerse ourselves in his experiences. In the end, we are all humanized by the spiritual journey of Dinner with Buddha. " —Spirituality and Practice "Merullo masterfully depicts the struggles of practicing mindfulness moment by moment . . . [The] novel is full of nuanced, thoughtful prose and is an immensely satisfying conclusion to the series." — Publishers Weekly

Ratings and reviews

Buddah is that one regular you see every day at burger king and the sad part is, is that you see him every day because you are also a regular at burger king. Since when did fat lard become inspirational

Truly inspirational

About the author

Roland Merullo is the critically acclaimed author of five books of nonfiction and twelve novels, including the Revere Beach Trilogy, Golfing with God, Breakfast with Buddha, The Vatican Waltz, and Dinner with Buddha. He lives with his wife and children in Massachusetts. His website is www.rolandmerullo.com.