Javier Cercas

A nonfiction novel sprinkled with irony and genuine curiosity which explores the controversial figure of Pope Francis and the questioned role of the Church in the 21st century.

In May 2023, Javier Cercas was signing books at the Salone del Libro in Turin when a representative of the Vatican approached him with an unusual proposition: they wanted him – him of all people, an atheist anticlerical writer and dangerous intellectual, to accompany Pope Francis on a trip to Mongolia and write a book about the adventure, no holds barred. For the first time ever, the Vatican had decided to open its doors to a writer and allow him to talk to whoever he liked and ask any questions he wanted to as a member of the Pope’s close entourage.

Bearing in mind the enormous influence of the Church around the world, countless questions arise when considering a proposal of this importance: who is Jorge Bergoglio? How much truth is there in the rumours of the dark side of his past? How is the papacy dealing with the battered image of the church after the scandals of sexual abuse and corruption, together with the shortage of new priests and the loss of believers?

However, Cercas agreed to fly to Mongolia with the Pope for one fundamental, non-negotiable reason: he wanted to ask Pope Francis in person if his mother and father would be reunited after death, and convey the Pope’s exact answer to his mother, a devout Catholic at the last stage of her life.

So begins the extraordinary adventure of a godless madman who follows God’s madman to the end of the world.

“He manages to tie in his most personal obsessions with one of the basic concerns of modern society: the role of spirituality and transcendence in human life; the place of religion and the yearning for immortality...”—Miguel Aguilar, editor, Random House

“An intense and extravagant book, yes—but also a memorable one.” Sergi Pàmies, La Vanguardia.

“Don’t miss it!” Daniel Fernández, La Vanguardia.

“A book as extravagant as possible, a blend of chronicle and essay and biography and autobiography,” a “mishmash of genres”—and intentions, one might add—that proves utterly fascinating.” Domingo Ródena Montoya, El País.

“A happy bastardization of genres.” Antonio Lucas, El Mundo.

“A unique book that shines a light on the satanically obstructed chambers of the Vatican.” Jordi Gracia. El País.

“Cercas displays complete command over all these formal devices […] His style, as usual, is light and casual, steering clear of emphasis […] The book tells a story and also lays bare its own making of, inviting the reader into the act of narration.” Carlos Mármol, El Español.

"This non-novel, or fictionless novel, could only have been written by Javier Cercas. It ends by offering the most enthusiastic hagiography of a Pope that anyone could have ever written. A singularly splendid book." José María Pozuelo Yvancos, ABC.

“Though hard to label, this book is also a mystery novel: there’s a puzzle to unravel.” Elena Burigana, Il Giorno.