September's Pope

Book excerpt: Pope Francis has captured the hearts of people the word-over with his gentle voice, friendly smile and humble manner. But there was another pope in 1978 who did the same, Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I. Luciani served as pontiff for only 33 days in 1978, but he filled the world with hope in those few days and this novel takes the reader into the conclave that elected him and through the Vatican politics that he had to deal with while trying to renew the spirit of the Catholic church. Filled with quotes from the Pope's actual speeches and based on extensive research into the workings of the 1978 Vatican, this novel gives the reader an inside look at one of the world's oldest institutions and a portrait of a fascinating human being.