Saving Grace

by Celia Gittelson

When a witty, brilliant but unassuming parish priest is elevated to the papacy, he flees into the countryside, eluding police and Vatican bureaucrats, but then gradually he comes to accept his mission and himself

Genres: Fiction

265 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1981

Reviews

[Kathleen Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The movie "Saving Grace" starring Tom Conti, was VERY LOOSELY based on this book. This is probably my favorite movie of all times.

I read this book at least 35 years ago and hated it because it was so different from the movie. But I decided to re-read it after all these years, totally apart from the movie. I enjoyed it very much. I just don't tie it in with the movie, because they are very different.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unwilling cardinal is elected the next Pope. The old ways of the running of the Vatican play on his sense of simplicity. He is always surprising the Vatican staff by including things in his days that no other "Pope" has dared to do. He invites his sister, a lay person, to lunch at the Vatican. He walks the streets of Rome. And finally he decides to take a vacation from it all. With help he sneaks out of the Vatican and has the time of his life getting into trouble in a small northern Italian town. No one at the Vatican knows where he is! Even his sister and her husband and children have no idea where the Pope has taken off to. Leaving his holy clothes and beads on the bed in his sisters spare bedroom, he starts his brother-in-laws beaten, down truck and the adventure begins!

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Pope had to run away from "home" to find his true calling.