Great failure, the

In this memoir, Natalie Goldberg candidly depicts her father, Ben, an old-fashioned man's man who knew no boundaries - a trait that was at once his greatest strength and most profound weakness. In capturing the essence of this larger-than-life Jewish bartender, she reveals the intricacies of a precarious father-daughter relationship. The tenuous bond with her father leads her in many directions and ultimately to Dainin Katagiri Roshi, a dynamic, celebrated Zen master. In light of an eye-opening discovery that shakes her ideal of this beloved teacher, Goldberg revisits her many years of loyal practice under Roshi's guidance. Elegantly weaving these tales together, this story is finally a search for truth when there are no easy answers. Filled with Goldberg's trademarkgifts for both humor and teaching, 'The Great Failure' touches our hearts and minds as we come to recognize the ways in which we fail to confront our illusions.