The Eight Visits

In The Eight Visits, Roland Merullo, author of 21 novels and 7 books of non-fiction, ventures into uncharted territory. Part memoir, part spiritual musing, part letter to an as-yet-nonexistent grandchild, this book, in Merullo's own words, is "an exploration of the way the living of life brings us wisdom."

Using eight diverse moments-some tiny, some immense-from his own seven decades on Earth, along with visits from a mysterious figure that represents the innermost aspects of the learning process, Merullo probes the mechanism of personal growth. From the death of a beloved grandparent, to first love, the making of a career, marriage, travel, the birth of children, and ordinary events in between, both painful and joyous, The Eight Visits traces the trajectory of one life against a background of wondering and seeking: What's the point of it all? What is the purpose? How best to spend the time we've been given?