Chapter Twenty-Nine: Return to Sweetgum

“Mulligatawny soup will cure what ails you,” Esme promised.

Maddie took the lid off the soup and stirred it. “Mmm, smells wonderful.”

“Hard to go wrong with a curry-spiced soup. Or coconut milk in general. And I add some apples for an extra hint of tartness.”

Maddie checked messages on her phone, but there were no new ones.

“Sweetie! If you don’t quit looking at your phone every five minutes, I will be forced to tie you to a chair. And all I have is grosgrain ribbon, so that could be painful. I made the best knots of anyone in my Boy Scout troop.”

“You mean Girl Scout troop.”

“No, I said it right. Boy Scouts. But that’s a long story for another day.”

Maddie plunked down at the kitchen table. “I shouldn’t have called Carlton. I probably sounded desperate in my message. But I miss him so much. Being back in Sweetgum is awful without seeing him. I should focus on why I came here, but I’m struggling. Any suggestions?”

“Yes. Could you please walk Sosa and Sandberg? I have a notion for when you get back.” Esme clapped her hands and called the boys’ names. They came running and jumped around for joy when they saw their leashes in Maddie’s hands.

“You’re right. It’s hard to feel sorry for myself with a couple of sweet dogs bouncing all over the place.” Maddie did a silly dance with the beagles that got them even more excited. She clipped their leashes to their collars and headed out the door.

“The endorphins will do you good!” Esme shouted as the kitchen door slammed.

The September weather was sunny and summerlike, but a few of the leaves were touched with red and bright yellow. Maddie inhaled all the familiar smells of the town. Freshly mown grass. Someone had a charcoal grill going, cooking out in the backyard. Wind chimes from various front porches made jangling music. The beagles stopped and sniffed everything, and Maddie didn’t try to rush them. She tried to stop thinking about Carlton and turn her mind to breaking the record. She wanted to pull out all the stops one last time. But somehow the ideas weren’t coming.

Sosa and Sandberg tugged on their leashes, lobbying to go home to Esme and supper time. Maddie took them back to Esme’s house, walking slowly. She had hoped that she’d see Carlton. That he might come running over to find her after he got her message. But it didn’t happen.

She opened the kitchen door. “Hey! We’re back!”

“Hello, boys! Your dinner’s waiting. You know where to find it,” Esme called out. “Come and join me in the front room, Maddie.”

“What’s all this?”

Esme sat on the floor beside a Danish modern coffee table. The table was set for tea with Clarice Cliff cups and saucers. Nag Champa incense and votive candles burned on the mantle above the fireplace. “Sit down with me, honey.”

Maddie sat cross-legged on the floor, and Esme handed her a mudcloth cushion. “Here. Let’s get comfortable.”

“So, I’m guessing this is some sort of ritual you’ve made up. Like back in June when you said your special dance would bring a rainout?”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Esme asked with an imperious look.

“There was a seventy-percent chance of rain that day.”

“I can ride my wave of joy if I want to. But that’s not our topic tonight. I want to teach you to meditate. You can’t keep carrying all this worry and weight on your shoulders. It’s not good for you and frankly, it’s not good for everybody around you. Sometimes you have to let go and believe good things are going to happen. Life will unfold at its own pace, without you pushing it all the time.”

“Do I detect Nick’s influence here?”

“Not Nick, dear. I’ve been so stressed, trying to decide whether to marry Nick or not, I was making myself sick.”

“Oh no! I’ve been way too wrapped up in my own problems, I didn’t realize you were hurting. What can I do?” Maddie hugged her aunt.

“For heaven’s sake, I’m all right. Working things out. But the bottom fell out of your world. Of course you’ve been reeling.” She poured a cup of lavender tea and handed it to Maddie. “Now don’t be upset. I needed help, and I asked Carlton to teach me how to meditate. We’ve talked about it before. He said it centers him and helps him solve big life problems.”

“Great. I guess I’m a big life problem that his Higher Power told him to drop.”

“Don’t assume that. It’s not my place to meddle, but Carlton hasn’t been happy either. He’s been withdrawn and introspective lately. I think he’s trying to get himself right before he talks to you again.”

“Did he mention me at all? I can’t believe you went and took freaking meditation lessons with him while I was away!”

“Simmer down. I wasn’t joining Team Carlton and wearing a ribbon. I just asked for a little assistance. He’s a wonderful teacher, and I could feel a difference right away. I think this could help you, too.”

“So no, he didn’t mention me. Or say anything about how he was feeling?”

“I made it a point not to pressure him. But he said that he’d gotten away from his meditation practice this summer. And he was worried that his judgement was affected. That he had been rash and irrational.”

Maddie felt the slightest glimmer of hope. “Do you think he still loves me? God, I love him so much!”

“I think he’s crazy about you. But that’s not our concern at the moment.”

“Why not? It’s totally my concern.”

“We’re letting things unfold, remember? Not pushing. Or overcomplicating. Meditation is surprisingly easy. Give it a try and see how you feel. Make yourself comfy on that cushion, and keep your eyes open. Don’t look at anything in particular. Relax. Soft gaze. Good! OK, just breathe. Slowly inhale, and then slowly exhale.” Esme demonstrated and Maddie followed her example. “Release everything that’s happened in the past and all your worries about the future. Focus on your breath. In. And out.”

Maddie was amazed by how quickly her body responded, and she began to relax.

“Thoughts will come into your mind,” said Esme. “That’s fine. Let them drift by. Like leaves floating on a river. Imagine that all your anxiety is far away. Like you’re underwater, but there’s a protective bubble around you so you can breathe. Your problems and fears are outside the bubble. They can’t bother you. You’re just in the present moment. Breathing in and breathing out.”

Maddie’s body unclenched. She listened to Esme’s soothing instructions and enjoyed the pleasant sensations around her. She smelled the incense and the lavender tea and heard the crickets outside the window.

Before she knew it, Esme rang a small bell on the coffee table. “And now we’re coming back. Gently returning to ordinary life. Our meditation session has ended.” Esme bowed her head with her palms pressed together. “Namaste.”

“Namaste.” Maddie bowed, too.

Esme stood up and blew out the candles on the mantle. “I know that was just your first lesson, but I’m hoping it helped a little?”

Maddie leaned back on her pillow and rested her back on the sofa. “It was the oddest thing. I could almost hear a voice telling me to post an invitation online. Ask the town to join me at the ballpark tomorrow to break the record. Simple as that. Like you’ve been telling me. I don’t need to print flyers and put them on everyone’s door. Or make phone calls all night long.”

“You were going to put flyers on every front door in Sweetgum?”

“I was seriously thinking about it. And also trying to call every person and business in the Sweetgum phone book. Personally. But not now. I want to do one simple thing to the best of my ability. That’s it.”

Esme folded Maddie into a long, fierce hug. “That’s my girl! I’d call that a breakthrough! You go ahead and post that invitation, and I’ll get dinner ready. Then we can watch Moneyball again.”

“Ooo, can we play the drinking game where we take a shot every time Brad Pitt eats another kind of junk food? Or walks down a hallway talking to someone?”

“And every time Pete says, ‘He gets on base,’” Esme added.

“Yes! Awesome!” Maddie made a short video on her phone and texted it to Tillie.

On it, Boss! Tillie texted back.

Esme set up their dinner—and the drinking supplies—in front of the TV while Maddie turned on the film. It started with a quote from Mickey Mantle displayed on a black screen:

It’s unbelievable how much you don’t know about the game you’ve been playing your whole life.

***

“I wish I may, I wish I might…” Maddie lit the candles in her baseball shrine. It was still there in the carriage house along with the remains of her life in Sweetgum. She felt a sharp stab of grief when she remembered the night Carlton built the Nearly Naked Fort and razzed her about the shrine. It seemed like every few minutes something else popped up to remind her of him. She wondered if that would ever stop and hoped he would send her some kind of message. Soon.

Maddie took a deep calming breath like Esme had shown her. Please let us break the record today, she thought. Her phone pinged and she opened her eyes to check her texts.

BREAKING NEWS: MANDERS MATTER EMERGENCY PODCAST!

At first Maddie ignored it, but curiosity got the better of her, and she clicked on the link to the show. The first thing she heard was Carlton’s voice.

“Manders fans, this is Carlton Wilde with an urgent podcast. Coming to you live from the Pickle Jar on our final game of the season. Today we have a mission, and I need every single person within earshot to answer the call. Madison Fields is coming to the game today. Last night she posted an invitation for the whole town to join her. True to her character—to her unstoppable nature—Maddie is hellbent on breaking the Salamanders’ all-time season attendance record, and I’m not ending this podcast until we do that.”

Maddie collapsed on the couch clutching a pillow and holding it to her chest. Could she be hearing this right? She turned up the volume on her phone and held it close to her ear.

Carlton continued. “Regular listeners will know that this show has been calling for a Manders boycott due to the latest asinine actions by incompetent management. But now we stand with Maddie. We need about fifteen hundred more fans to show up this afternoon, and I know we can do it. Let’s check in with our reporters in the field. Herb, are you on the line? What’s happening out there?”

“Hello Carlton—and Manders fans everywhere!” Herb answered. “I’m here with Tamika Jones, ace dispatcher of the Sweetgum Senior Shuttle. Tamika, talk about what you’re doing here.”

“It’s easy, Herb. We’re calling it Operation Pickle Palooza. Which means all roads lead to the Pickle Jar. Our vans will run constantly from our regular stops to the ballpark for as long as it takes to pack that stadium. We’re also adding the Grand Lunch Cafe to our route, so you can grab some chow and then hightail it to the park and join Maddie. She needs us, damn it! She’s been here for Sweetgum all season, and now we’ve got to show up for her. Don’t mess with me on this! I will not be a happy camper if we fail.”

Herb laughed. “You heard Tamika, folks! We wanna keep her happy, so stop whatever you’re doing and help us make some baseball history today. Sending it back to you, Carlton.”

“Thank you, Herb. And Sweetgum Seniors! OK, next… Let’s hear from Vinny Randazzo who’s on the road. In the largest Chevy station wagon known to humans. Where y’at, Vinny?”

“Hey y’all! I’m picking up anyone who needs a ride but can’t get to the shuttle stops. You all know my car used to deliver Mario’s Pizza. For the next few hours, you can call Mario’s to request a ride. I’ve got three back seats in this baby, so we can really pack ‘em in. And carpooling is good for the environment. So it’s a win-win! We’ve even got a working slogan that I’m pretty excited about.”

“Which is?”

“Don’t stay home and be an asshole! Call Mario!”

“Needs some work, but your heart’s in the right place.”

“Signing off, bro! I got a ton of requests coming in.”

“Later, Vinny. And shout out to Mario’s! Keep up the good work! We’re getting a lot of text messages that I should get to. First, Thornberry’s is leaving used bikes all over town. Everyone is free to take one to the ballpark, and Gertrude says go ahead and keep it if you need a bike. All right! We’re crushing it for the environment today! Let’s break a record, too. OK, this just in from Nina DiCaro, host of Love Notes on WZAZ. Nina’s putting the word out to her fans that anyone who goes to the game today can use their ticket to get a Love Notes tote bag. Brand new swag. Available for pick-up at the station during business hours. Hell, I might even get one. That’s outstanding, Nina!”

By this point, tears were streaming down Maddie’s face. She felt like George Bailey at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life and her Mary Bailey, rallying the world to her defense, was Carlton. She was afraid to trust the hope that she felt tingling in her whole body. Not just about the record, but about Carlton.

Someone was pounding on her door.

“Maddie, are you in there?” Esme shouted. “Are you listening to the emergency podcast?”

“Yes! I can’t believe it!” Maddie yelled back. “Come on in.”

Esme bounded into the room. “Oh honey! What did I tell you? I’m so proud of my town right now!” She hugged Maddie.

“Me, too. I’m just… I don’t know what I am! What should I do now?”

“What else? We have to get you to the ballpark!”

***

The Pickle Jar was a madhouse when Maddie and Esme arrived at the front gate.

“Over here, Boss!” Tillie shouted. “I’ve got special seats reserved for you guys.”

Maddie ran to embrace her, and Esme was close behind.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Maddie asked when she backed out of the hug.

Tillie spun around like she was on the runway during fashion week. She modeled a Fort Wayne Tincaps T-shirt and a pair of cut-off jeans. “I wanted to have a Dress Like Maddie Day, too. But I think I forgot to post it. I might be the only one who dressed like you. What a nightmare, huh?”

Maddie hugged her again. “You look a lot better than me, Tillie, and I love you! This is overwhelming! How did it all happen? Where’s Carlton? Is he—?”

Tillie smiled slyly. “This was all his idea, you know. He’s using the broadcast booth for his podcast. I know he’s supposed to be banned from there. But we decided Fuck Monty! Carlton’s not calling the game, is he? Even if he were, I wouldn't care.”

“Are we close to breaking the record yet?” Esme asked.

Tillie checked her phone. “We’re getting there. I’m opening the Great Lawn as an SRO section and letting people in for free. But I’m worried that we’re getting tapped out. The population of Sweetgum is only so big. But that’s my problem today, not yours. Come on, you’re the guest of honor.”

Tillie showed Maddie and Esme to a reserved box behind home plate that was decorated with bunting and balloons. The Jumbotron showed their arrival and the crowd stood up. Maddie waved brightly and blew kisses. She wanted to thank every last person in the stands. Tillie ran off to the Great Lawn, and Maddie settled into the VIP seats with Esme. It had been a long time since Maddie had attended a ball game as a regular fan. She let the whole experience wash over her and felt like she was in heaven. Her thoughts kept flitting back to Carlton in the booth. She wanted so badly to see him. But she also wanted to let him work and shatter the record more than ever. To come this far and fall short would be heartbreaking.

Russell Wilde announced that Darcy Keen, legendary Sox organist, had come back for today’s big event. Maddie stood and applauded as Darcy launched into her pre-game concert.

“You think we’re gonna make it?” Maddie asked, bouncing nervously in place.

“I think there’s a good chance,” Esme said. “But more importantly, I think this means something else that’s a lot better than breaking a record.”

“I know.” Maddie thought about Carlton again, but she was too anxious to say his name. Baseball superstition. She didn’t want to jinx it. “I hope so anyway.”

Darcy finished the pre-game music and Russell Wilde announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been asked to update you on the historic milestone we’re trying to reach. Kudos to everybody who turned out today. This has been something to see! But I’m afraid the powers-that-be have informed me that we’re not gonna meet our magic number…”

The crowd groaned, and Maddie felt like her heart actually stopped for a few beats.

“Not gonna meet it,” Russell repeated, “Because we just PASSED it, and we want you all to meet the fan who put us over the top!”

The stadium erupted in a rowdy roar when the video board showed Tillie giving a trophy to Juan Miranda of Miranda Brothers Movers, who stood waving with his sibling.

“The Mirandas!” Maddie yelled, practically smothering Esme. “Oh my gosh, they moved my furniture from the Emporium, and I invited them to a game. They sure picked a helluva time to take me up on it!”

Darcy played “We Are the Champions” on the organ, and fireworks went off over the scoreboard. Maddie and Esme were both crying and swaying to the music. The song faded and Maddie stopped to dry her eyes. Standing right beside her was Carlton. Maddie launched herself into his arms, and she couldn’t stop more tears from coming.

“I’m sorry for everything!” she told him.

“Don’t! I’m the one who should apologize. I was wrong, and I’m so sorry I didn’t call you last night, but I got super busy, and I hope today makes up for it a little.” He held her so tightly that she lifted a little off the ground and it felt fabulous. “I love you, Maddie. You know that, don’t you?”

“Are you kidding? You couldn’t have done anything better! It’s been horrible being in Sweetgum without you. I can’t imagine not loving you.”

Esme tapped Maddie on the shoulder. “Excuse me, but the Kiss Cam is calling!”

“Can’t ignore that!” Carlton said, and braced Maddie for the biggest, best kiss of her life on full display upon the video board while the Pickle Jar exploded with more love from the fans.

The kiss ended and the national anthem began. It was played by Sam Ernst and his band, and the group wasn’t bad.

Carlton sat down beside Maddie to watch the game. It was their first game together as fans since they met at Wrigley. A high bar to beat, but Maddie thought this time was better. She reveled in every second of it.

At the end of the second inning, Vinny and Herb joined the party, and Maddie treated everyone to frosty beers to toast their success. Tillie came to visit when she could, too.

“Oh Tille. What am I going to do without you?” Maddie asked.

“Shut up!” Tillie snapped. “Not talking about that today.”

“Fair enough,” Maddie agreed.

The game ended with another win for the Manders. Alonso Garcia hit two home runs and a double to get a whopping five RBIs for the afternoon.

“Alonso is so hot,” said Maddie. “I think he’ll get some interest as a veteran catcher and DH next season in the majors.”

“He’s pretty hot.” Carlton said. “But not as hot as some people here today.” He slid one hand discreetly under her shirt and up her bare back. “Could I interest you in coming home with me tonight? We have some serious making up to do.”

“Nothing—really, really nothing—could interest me more.”

***

The first two weeks in October flew by in a beautiful blur. Maddie allowed herself to take a break. It wasn’t easy at first. She was itching to do some kind of work or find a new goal to pursue. But after a while she started to enjoy herself. She and Carlton spent a luxurious amount of time together. Going to movies, hiking in the Sweetgum State Park, and making festive dinners for their friends at Esme’s. The Cubs were in the playoffs, and they watched the games together, until the team lost a heartbreaking Game Five of the NLDS to the Padres. A few times each week, they went back to Shadow River where they walked and talked about everything and nothing.

Tonight, something special was on Maddie’s agenda as they strolled by the river.

“Sooo, how did it go?” Maddie asked, trying to keep herself reasonably calm. “A second interview with the Iowa Cubs for the play-by-play job? Already! That has to be a positive sign.”

“It was good, I think.”

“You were great! I can tell. I can feel it radiating from you. They love you, of course. Who wouldn’t? When will they let you know for sure?”

Carlton chuckled nervously. “Maddie, you’re moving at light speed again. I’m sure they have other excellent candidates with more experience.”

“No, they don’t. None like you. That’s impossible.”

“You’re so biased. I wouldn’t have gotten an interview without you. I’m sure you pressured Nick Maddox when you were in Chicago. It puts me to shame. I was here sulking, being a jerk, and you were out there pushing for my dream job.”

Maddie put her arm around Carlton’s waist as they walked. She was secretly thrilled that he felt bad about his behavior after their fight and gave her credit for being the bigger person. It wasn’t her goal, but she appreciated it anyway. “I didn’t push Nick. No one does that. I made a suggestion which he immediately realized was brilliant. You could have gotten your own interviews for announcing jobs. All I did was speed things up a little. It was nothing.”

“No, it was something.” He stopped so he could kiss her slowly and with extra tenderness to emphasize his point. She thought it would be perfectly OK to stay like this for hours, maybe weeks.

The fall weather had been especially fine. Golden, sunny days and cool, starry nights. Maddie wondered if they might be able to camp by the river overnight and sleep under the stars. They wandered further down the boardwalk to the semi-circular bench with a view of the autumn constellations—Pegasus, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, according to Carlton—rising over the mountains. They didn’t have to speak to each other all the time and Maddie loved that.

But then Carlton broke the pleasant silence and asked, “What about you? What do you think you’d like to do now? I don’t mean that in a nagging way. Just curious about what’s going on inside that wild mind of yours. That was an epic battle you had with Monty. Would you ever try to go back and see him again?”

Maddie shook her head. “He’s a lost soul. I think it would be best for everyone if we forget that we’re related and never see each other again. That’s fine by me. I want the dad I grew up with. He was lovely when I was home, having all these heavy talks with mom. He was completely calm and just … like himself. He told me nothing had changed and he’d always be my dad. He even made me laugh when I thought I couldn’t. But getting back to your question, I’m not sure what I want to do next.” She bumped his arm playfully. “You screwed up my backup plan!”

“Me? How?

“We can’t become international jewel thieves now that you have a broadcasting career. Really bums me out because I know what our mysterious object is—the one that we leave behind at the scene of our crimes.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“A potholder.”

Carlton laughed. “Monogrammed, I hope!”

“Definitely! Isn’t that better than a glove or a rose? I mean, it’s something people can actually use.”

“Well, don’t give up yet. I haven’t gotten an offer from Iowa, and I’m not sure I will.”

Maddie laid her head against his shoulder. “You will. But you were asking a real question. I get that you’re concerned about me. It’s weird. Usually I have a plan. Or a dozen plans. Well, I don’t have one. Although now that I’m meditating—thank you by the way for teaching Esme so she could teach me—I’m trying to simplify and listen to my inner voice. Or aspirational energy. Or something like that. I’m not very good at it yet. But I’ve thought about a couple of things I might do. Like being an elementary school teacher. My elementary school was awesome. I love working with kids. And giving out stickers. I’d be like, You came to school today? Congratulations! You get a sticker!”

“You’d be terrific.” Carlton kissed her forehead. “But I can’t imagine you getting out of baseball. You were born for this sport. There must be something you can do.”

Maddie sighed. “Sometimes you don't get paid for the thing you love doing the most. Or even the thing you do best. A lot of people aren't. I am a part of baseball and always will be, even if I'm not official with a title or a salary. I love it and I love you. I’ll never desert either of those loves, OK? This is really important to me. Whatever happens with our careers, we have to find a way to stay together. This is it. You and me. The foundation of everything. Or the Theory of Everything, if you want to go all Stephen Hawking.”

“I always want to go all Stephen Hawking.”

“I’m being serious now!”

He pulled her close. “Me, too. You’re my Unified Field Theory. Always will be. You were right when you said I gave up too easily in the past. But I won’t do that with you. I couldn’t.”

She kissed him soundly and placed her hand on his inner thigh. “Good. Now that we’ve got major life stuff settled, I think we should have some fun.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Can we camp out here in the back of your truck? Remember when you told me that this place reminds you of Tolkien and you speak Quenya? So, we could talk dirty in Elvish and—”

“What?” He flinched in genuine horror which greatly amused Maddie. “That’s sacrilege!"

“Or no… I know! We could do Aragorn and Eowyn: Forbidden Love! You’d be such a perfect Aragorn, and I would kick ass as Eowyn. Do you have anything we could use for swords?”

“Oh my God, stop!” Carlton pleaded. “Tolkien is turning over in his grave.”

Maddie’s phone rang. She was almost laughing too hard to pick up. But it was a Chicago number, and it didn’t look like spam. “Hello? Who’s this?”

“Am I speaking with Madison Fields?”

“Yes. How can I help you?” Maddie’s chest tightened. She didn’t recognize the voice, but the man sounded intimidating and officious. She knew that she was in some kind of trouble. She just couldn’t imagine what kind.

“I’m Richard Bellows, Monty Ortzelbean’s attorney. Do you have a good lawyer? Because you’re gonna need one.”

***

‍ ‍ Dear Reader,

We’ve almost reached the end of Wilde Pitch! Next week, you’ll receive the final two chapters of the novel, and then one week later—-on the final day of the regular baseball season—-we’ll send out a farewell to Sweetgum with a few final surprises. We’d like to thank all of you for reading and for making this project so much fun over the summer. We could not have asked for a better audience.

Gratefully.

Debra & Laura

RELATED ART

*Tillie’s T-shirt for her own “Dress Like Maddie” day*

COMFORT INSPIRATION

**Mulligatawny Soup**

This soup is a British-Indian cuisine hybrid, the result of colonizers’ encounters with rasam — a spiced, soupy dish often enriched with lentils, sometimes served over rice — from Tamil Nadu, a region in southern India. “Milagu tannir,” which means pepper water, was how Tamil people described some versions of rasam; it morphed into mulligatawny when the British made it thick, chunky, and meaty. In the cookbook “Classic Indian Cooking,” the author Julie Sahni wrote that she fell in love with mulligatawny when she first encountered it in Germany. “The present version bears no resemblance whatever to the traditional rasam,” she said, adding, “Because of its unorthodox origin, Indian cooks have had a field day exercising their creative genius with it.” This version is thickened with a roux, masoor dal and coconut milk, and bolstered with chicken thighs and tart apple. Curry powder is not a traditional Indian ingredient, but it reflects the dish’s British influence.
**SEE RECIPE**

ESME’S DECOR: CLARICE CLIFF TEACUPS

Clarice Cliff teacups are highly coveted by ceramics collectors, capturing the essence of the 1920s and 1930s Art Deco movement. Cliff was an English artist and designer. She launched her revolutionary “Bizarre” collection in 1927 using bright enamel colors. She is known for her whimsical shapes and styles, turning ordinary kitchen items into art. Later in her career, Cliff became an art director and led a team of painters known as “The Bizarre Girls”

ZEN INSPIRATION

BOOKLIST

Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese monk and peace activist who made Buddhism accessible to many Westerners. His book titles include The Miracle of Mindfulness, Peace in Every Step, No Mud, No Lotus, and The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, among others. All are worthwhile reading if you’re interested in the subject of meditation.

Some of our favorite books about meditation and mindfulness: