Through his best-selling"Letters from the Desert" and more than a dozen other books, Carretto presented an ascetic, yet joy-filled spirituality that called to mind the spirit of his favorite saint, Francis of Assisi. Especially appealing to lay people, he showed that it was possible to live a contemplative life in the midst of the world. This selection from over a dozen books covers the spirituality of the desert, Carretto's reflections on God, the church, prayer, engagement with the world, and the mystery of suffering and death.