Buddhaland Brooklyn - Softcover

Morais, Richard C

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1451669232 ISBN 13: 9781451669237

Publisher: Scribner Book Company, 2013

Synopsis

"A vivid portrait of faith lost and found through the eyes of a Japanese Buddhist monk in America" (Shelf Awareness) as he makes his way from an isolated monastery in Japan to the bustling streets of Brooklyn, New York.

Seido Oda spent his boyhood in a small mountainside village in rural Japan. When his parents hand him over to the monks at the nearby Buddhist monastery, he devotes himself to painting, poetry, and prayer--and avoiding human contact. But his quiet life is unexpectedly upended when he is ordered by his superior to open a temple in Brooklyn.

New York is a shock to the introverted Oda, who now must lead a ragtag army of eccentrics who make up the local Buddhist community. After tragedy strikes, Oda finally realizes his own long-buried sadness and spiritual short-comings. It is only with newly opened eyes that Oda comes to find in Brooklyn the home he has always sought.

About this title

Review

"In exquisite prose, Buddhaland Brooklyn illuminates the hearts of wholly different cultures - an isolated Buddhist monastery; bustling New York - and also the universal truths of human life. Reverend Seido Oda's journey from shut-down, haughty priest to compassionate religious leader is a profoundly moving one making for a complex, beautiful book that lingers in the imagination long after the last line is read."

--Robin Black, author of If I loved you, I would tell you this

"Buddhaland Brooklyn is a rare gem of a novel in that it is rich with both fabulous description and a juicy plot."--Shambala Sun

"The world Morais creates is quirky and enchanting. His recurring rumination on the meaning of enlightenment and acceptance is worth savoring."--Washington Independent Review of Books

"Readers who follow Morais's lyrical narrative will find spiritual redemption of their own in his search for the paradisiacal Buddhaland. A vivid portrait of faith lost and found through the eyes of a Japanese Buddhist monk in America."--Shelf Awareness

"Morais has struck gold with this novel, which is simultaneously funny, sad, and enlightening."--Spencer Daily Reporter

"[Morais] has a definite talent for evoking a place - his descriptions of Japan in Buddhaland Brooklyn resonate like watercolors painted on silk panels. The secondary characters are fully realized and the journey to enlightenment is full of entertaining detours."--Book Sexy Reviews.com

"A delightful and insightful fish-out-of water tale."--New York Post

"A charming and touching tale of discovery... certain to be appreciated by those who enjoy reading about the human condition."--Library Journal

"Eloquent, unique, funny, tender, sad, and pristine in its delivery."----Luxury Reading.com

About the Author

Richard C. Morais is the editor of Penta, a Barron's website and quarterly magazine. An American raised in Switzerland, Morais has lived most of his life overseas, returning to the United States in 2003. He is the author of The Hundred-Foot Journey and Buddhaland Brooklyn. He lives in New York City.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1451669232
• ISBN 13: 9781451669237
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256