Peggy Noonan, author of John Paul The Great: Remembering A Spiritual Father, has a way of capturing the reader’s attention. Her descriptive narration of Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) is both eloquent and exquisite. The book has the ability to transport the reader to the scene, given the author’s vivid imagery; I found myself feeling as if I were present when Noonan meets John Paul at St. Peter’s Basilica, with excitement and apprehension all wrapped into the weave of the cloth of her human heart.
The book takes the reader on a historical journey of John Paul’s life with distinction given to his term as the Holy Father, Pope John Paul. The author’s strong sense of spiritual conviction as a follower of John Paul is incorporated in the book. Her personal anecdotes as well as occurrences of those who reported or encountered John Paul add an additional dimension to the book.
John Paul is portrayed as a man with human tenderness, frailties and certainty in God. Despite the human vulnerabilities driven by his own experiences in life, he elevates himself to a status of inspiring the masses. For in him, we see, a man dressed in different types of attire - a humble servant of the Lord, a leader of billions who follow the Catholic Church, and a person of history instrumental in helping to eradicate Communism in Poland.
This book will entice you to admire the accomplishments of John Paul, as well as gently encourage you to ponder and reflect the quality that John Paul held near and dear to his heart: compassion for others and a belief that God created us in His likeness, which is the essence that distinguishes our human race. I would highly recommend John Paul the Great, independent of your religious roots.