Vatican Waltz
Vatican Waltz by Roland Merullo, published by Blackstone Audio on December 3, 2013, is an unabridged novel that explores the journey of a young Catholic woman named Cynthia Piantedosi. Living a quiet life just outside Boston, Cynthia experiences profound moments of prayer, which she refers to as “spells.” Following the death of her parish priest, these spells intensify, leading her to believe that she is being called to become the first female Catholic priest. This revelation propels her on a transformative journey to the Vatican, challenging the norms of her faith and the Catholic establishment.
In this narrative, readers will find a deep exploration of faith, spirituality, and the complexities of institutional religion. Cynthia’s unwavering belief drives her to confront the challenges posed by church officials who are resistant to her calling. The story delves into themes of family relationships and the life of prayer, presenting a fresh perspective on what it means to hear God’s voice. Vatican Waltz invites readers to engage with the profound questions surrounding faith and destiny, as Cynthia’s journey unfolds against the backdrop of her devout upbringing and the societal expectations of her time.
Official synopsis Publisher
Product Description
[Read by Cassandra Campbell]
The new novel from the award-winning author of
Golfing with God and
Revere Beach Boulevard is the story of a young Catholic woman jolted from a quietly devout life in Boston by a miraculous call to action.
Cynthia Piantedosi lives a quiet, unassuming life with her elderly father just outside of Boston. When she loses her beloved grandmother as a child, her faith takes a turn for the devout, and she begins experiencing what she describes as ”spells” – moments of such intense prayer that she loses herself. Uninterested in boys and a social life, she develops a deep friendship with the parish priest, whose ideas are often seen as too provocative by his congregation but who encourages her to explore her spells. When he dies in a suspicious hit-and-run accident, the spells intensify, and their message begins to take shape: God is asking her to be the first female Catholic priest. She reaches out to other unreceptive officials within the Catholic establishment and is met with ridicule. Unable to tune out the divine messages, she leaves behind all that she knows, letting the power of her unswerving faith drive her all the way to the Vatican in pursuit of a destiny she doesn’t fully understand — and a turn of events that will rock the church to its foundation.
Review
”Merullo’s latest is a page-turning novel of religious ideas written with love and imagination . . . This book will speak loudly to Catholic readers; some will cheer and others will object loudly. It also sings with finely observed details of family relationships, ethnic neighborhood life, and the life of prayer . . . [A] fresh take on institutional religion and what it means to hear God’s voice.” —
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
”The real drama here is in the heroine’s relationship with God — and secular-minded readers who think such matters don’t interest them will think again if they give half a chance to Merullo’s loving portrait of a quiet, unassuming woman impelled by faith into deeper engagement with sorrowful, suffering humanity. A fresh, moving portrait of religion as it could and should be. The cliffhanging finale offers hope that we will see more of Cynthia’s odyssey in future books.” —
Kirkus Reviews(starred review)
About the Author
ROLAND MERULLO is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen books, including
Revere Beach Boulevard, Golfing with God, and
Breakfast with Buddha. Merullo has won numerous prizes, including the Massachusetts Book Award in both fiction and nonfiction. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two children.
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