Golfing with God: A Novel of Heaven and Earth

"Amid the laughs and playful banter, Golfing with God is a serious story of self-examination and growth, the hardest games of all." — The Washington Post Book World ( The Washington Post )"A literary fantasy that elevates the game of golf to a spiritual quest." —The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ( Seattle Post-Intelligencer )"A literary fantasy that elevates the game of golf to a spiritual quest shared with the Creator."—The Sunday Seattle Times & Seattle Post-Intelligencer ( Seattle Post-Intelligencer )"Merullo . . . blends knowledge of the game with glimpses into his spiritual journey in this engaging story of golf, the afterlife and the 'spiritual education of one soul.'"—Publishers Weekly ( Publishers Weekly )"Will appeal to fans of Alice Sebold and Mitch Albom....Highly recommended."—Library Journal, starred ( Library Journal )"The tale of Hank the earthly golf pro and God the eternal swinger is engagingly and wittily told. . . Amid the laughs and playful banter,Golfing with God is a serious story of self-examination and growth, the hardest games of all." — Washington Post Book World ( The Washington Post )"An engaging plot, humor . . . and a theology that's humane." —The Boston Globe ( Boston Globe ) "A beautifully told tale that will have you in its otherworldly grasp from the opening page…The best golfing novel I've ever read!"—James Dodson, author of Final Rounds Book Description For golf pro Hank Fins-Winston, playing golf was always a way of life. And now that he's in heaven, the game has taken on a whole new dimension. Funny, engaging, and uplifting, Golfing with God is a journey—for both the novel's hero and the reader—into the heart of what really matters in life. Thoughtful folks who love golf—or those who simply love a golfer—will find Merullo's adventure above the clouds a peek at heaven itself. From the Inside Flap This is the story of a journey—from heaven to earth and back again. For Herman "Hank" Fins-Winston, that journey begins one idyllic morning—as all mornings are in heaven—when he is summoned to play a round of golf with God. Yes, that God. The Almighty. The one with the capital G . And yes, Hank really is in heaven, a fact he finds truly amusing because, for one reason or another, a fair percentage of golfers never make it to paradise, and because he himself was no angel in his former life. It seems that God is having some trouble with His (or Her: God is funny that way) putting game, and believes that Hank, who was a golf pro on earth, can fix His case of "the yips." But as they play the heavenly courses both in paradise and back on earth, Hank comes to realize that what began as a golf lesson has become much more, and that rather than teaching God about the game, it is he himself who is learning the lessons—about fearing failure, about second chances, about the connectedness of all living things, about not taking the next breath for granted, and about our God-given ability to improve ourselves—one stroke at a time. Funny and uplifting, Golfing with God is a beautifully realized novel that takes the reader on one ordinary man's most unexpected passage. Herman "Hank" Fins-Winston was a pro golfer destined for greatness. Now he lives in a condominium on the thirteenth fairway of one of heaven's glorious courses—a fact he finds surprising and amusing, since for one reason or another, a fair percentage of golfers never make it to paradise. Hank is having the time of his afterlife until he's summoned one idyllic morning to play a round with the Almighty. It seems that God is having some trouble with His game. As they play the heavenly courses, both in paradise and back on earth, Hank comes to realize that what began as a golf lesson has become a spiritual journey. Roland Merullo, is the critically acclaimed author of seven books, including the Revere Beach Trilogy, three novels about growing up in a tight-knit community outside Boston, and Golfing with God , a novel about a man's unexpected spiritual journey. He lives with his wife and two daughters in eastern Massachusetts. Read more