Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Letters of Pier Giorgio

So many of you have contacted me to ask about the letters of Pier Giorgio. WHEN IS THE BOOK COMING OUT?! It seems like I have been promising it for nearly a year and I am just as anxious as all of you. Good news! We now have an American publisher on board and the project is moving full-speed ahead.

One of the greatest privileges I have had throughout my work on behalf of Pier Giorgio was to be able to edit his letters with his niece Wanda Gawronska. We did a good bit of it in Rome and then worked on it again in Pollone. As we read each letter, I had the opportunity to ask questions and listen to Wanda's many stories and really understand the context and mindset and culture at the time the letters were written. With each page, I grew to love Pier Giorgio more and more. It's not that his letters are some great theological or spiritual work. It's that his letters are a reflection of the normality of his life and how his faith was a part of everything he did. He was not a compartmentalized Catholic! He loved his faith, his family, his friends. He had a sense of humor, a sense of duty, a spirit of humility, a spirit of adventure. In short, he is who we think he is.

When we finished the editing last March, I was very excited that for the first time it would be printed in English and all of you would have the opportunity to read about Pier Giorgio in his own words. However, I soon discovered that it is not so easy to get something like this published. Last year, a Canadian company agreed to do it. Not long afterward, that company was bought out by a French company that decided not to do it! It has been such a rollercoaster.

Earlier this month, we received the good news that the book will be published here in the U.S. I will provide more details as they become available. In the meantime, please keep the success of this project in your prayers. Verso l'alto!

4 comments:

CC :) said...

I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS TO COME OUT!!!! I will keep its success in my prayers.

Caroline said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Caroline said...

Yes!!! That's GREAT! I'm so glad you were able to find a publisher and can't wait to read Pier Giorgio's letters! I will also keep the publishing in my prayers.

Caroline

Melissa Cecilia said...

I cannot wait for this book to come out! Pier Giorgio is such an inspiration to us young people (Catholics and non-Catholics alike); it's great to learn more about him and his life. :D