A few weeks ago, Thomas Farrell also wrote a very nice review of my book. I refrained from posting it on this blog because it was posted on Facebook. In response to a couple of requests from people who do not indulge in Facebook, here is the review with my sincere thanks to Tom:

Anthony deMello, SJ: The Happy Wanderer: A Tribute to My Brother is an accessible and enjoyable biography – and at times, moving to read. Bill deMello (born 1944) has synthesized an impressive amount of information about the life of his internationally famous older brother,  Tony (1931-1987), whose works about prayer and spirituality still attract people today. In the course of this book, Bill emerges as an amiable and self-deprecating narrator. Tony emerges as brilliant, full of jokes and stories, and an enormously attractive Jesuit retreat director and speaker. Bill intertwines highlights from his own life in India with the events in Tony’s life.

Tony’s life included the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in the Roman Catholic Church, which instructed religious orders such as the Jesuits to study their original charisms and undertake renewal of those charisms. As Bill makes clear, Tony worked in the formation of Jesuit seminarians, directing new Jesuits during their 30-day retreats following the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. Later, Tony worked as a retreat director with other Jesuits who were involved in the formation of Jesuit seminarians. Because his book Sadhana: A Way to God (1978) sold well in English and was widely translated into other languages, Tony was also in demand in numerous countries as a retreat director and speaker.
Early in the book, Bill tells us how a business trip took him from his adopted home in Australia to New York City in 1987. Tony was scheduled to broadcast an ambitious conference from Fordham University in the Bronx. After Tony had arrived from India, Bill was able to arrange to spend an evening visiting with him at Fordham. But the next day at work, Bill received a call from Fordham. Tony had died during the night from a heart attack. I have the impression that Bill’s loving tribute to his brother in this book is a way for him to work through his bereavement.
Thomas J. Farrell, Professor Emeritus
University of Minnesota Duluth
Homepage: www.d.umn.edu/~tfarrell