This autobiography of one of the most beloved spiritual and religious writers of the twentieth century is a deep look into his early life all the way through to his conversion to Catholicism and eventual ordination as a priest and Trappist monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. The story of Merton’s journey to his vocation is written in a way that makes the reader feel like they are right there beside him, learning and growing along the way. The author bares his soul as he describes the ups and downs, the false starts, the doubts and disappointments, that pave his road to redemption and eventual certainty in his choice to become a monk. It is inspiring to read how this towering spiritual writer spent the first half of his life struggling with and conquering all the same things the rest of us mere mortals face each day.