Brian Kennelly - To the Heights: A Novel Based on the Life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Copyright 2014 Brian Kennelly

All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical review, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Cataloging-in-Publication data on file with the Library of Congress.

Cover artwork copyright Chris Pelicano.

ISBN: 978-1-61890-634-2

Published in the United States by

Saint Benedict Press, LLC

PO Box 410487

Charlotte, NC 28241

www.SaintBenedictPress.com

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

When Saint Benedict Press approached me about this project, my immediate reaction was one of hesitation. How do you tell the story of a real-life, historical figure, especially one as holy as Pier Giorgio Frassati? How do you do him justice and display his virtues accurately? How do you take what biographical information we have and weave it together, while doing your best to fill in the gaps of what we dont know? How do you speak for a man on the path to Sainthood, a man revered by Popes?

These troubling questions kept me awake for nearly a week. Luckily, I had a newborn baby to keep me company on those sleepless nights.

But above these issues was a dilemma trumping them allthe opposing option was far worse. To decline the offer meant forfeiting an amazing opportunity. Could I let such a chance pass me by, to not only learn more about Pier Giorgio Frassati myself, but also bring him to thousands of others? As with many matters throughout our lives, clarity came through prayer, and here I am writing this just over a year later.

The burden of sitting down to write a biography is certainly a difficult one, but to write a historical fiction novel bleeds over into something else. There are different challenges, different rules, and even more people scrutinizing your work. A writer opens himself up to criticism with each word he writes, a truth only exaggerated when writing about a historical figure.

So why embark on such a project? Why not just write a biography?

There is certainly a place for biographies in the libraries and bookshelves of our world, especially of the Saints. They are informative, inspirational, and integral to spreading the Faith. But most are not told through the medium of a story, and there is nothing more powerful than this; one need only look to the greatest Teacher weve ever known, who chose to teach in parables.

There is no denying biographies have the ability to teach us many things about the colossal figures of our past, lessons we may even be able to apply to our own lives. But does it have the ability to make us cry the way a story can? Does it journey into the caverns of our soul, where the deepest truths hide, and bring those truths back to the surface?

I have always felt that reading a biography, or any non-fiction book, is like looking through a pair of binoculars, while reading fiction is like looking through a kaleidoscope. In both cases youre presenting something new to your senses, but the binoculars merely draw you closer to a reality that is a distant part of this world, while the kaleidoscope draws you closer to the possible realities of the world beyond, where lights and colors dazzle in such a way we are not accustomed to here on earth. The beauty of historical fiction is that it combines the two, so that perhaps youre looking through the lens of a telescope at the glittering lights of the cosmos, helping you to make sense of your humble place in the universe. But beyond any poetic analogy that can be made, the truth is that when you fall into a story, your own story begins to have more meaning.

Its my hope that in relaying the life of a young man like Pier Giorgio Frassati through the prism of a story, we can come to know him better than we would in the pages of a biography, or even a book of his own letters. We can place ourselves in his shoes, relate to him, and view life through his eyes. His experiences become our experiences, and he holds our hand as we learn from them.

But the reader must not forget that this is a fictional novel. Artistic liberties had to be taken to fill in the day-to-day details of Pier Giorgios life. Much of what we know about him comes from the many letters he wrote to family and friends. But a novel about a young man sitting down to pen dozens of letters simply would not work. Therefore, it was necessary, at times, to make reasonable conjectures, both to connect the dots of his life and to ensure the story flows in an engaging and compelling fashion. Ive taken the facts, letters, and verifiable episodes from his life and blended them together into what I hope is a story that will give the reader a chance to know Pier Giorgio in a whole new light.

Throughout the course of my research, I began to see just how important Pier Giorgio was, and how vital it was that his narrative spread to the masses. He devoted much of his life to works of charity, spending a great deal of time in the ghettos of Turin with the poor and sick, and was an avid believer in the importance of the sacraments and devotion to Our Lady.

But beyond his spiritual life, he was a good-looking, charismatic, and popular young man who loved to disappear in the rugged Alps of Northern Italy, climbing toward the heights and above the clouds. He had dozens of friends, girls loved him, and he possessed an eternal zest and optimistic attitude in everything he did. To use a modern term, he was simply cool. There is a quote attributed to Pope St. John Paul II where he claims that the Church needs saints who wear jeans and sneakers instead of veils and cassocks, and saints who eat pizza and go to the movies. If our late Holy Father truly said this, he neednt look further than to this young Italian.

Pier Giorgio was also bold enough to get his hands dirty when he spoke out passionately against the evils of Fascism, even coming to blows with Mussolinis thugs on numerous occasions. But perhaps most fascinating of all, he carried a unique cross in the form of high-society parents who actually frowned upon his intense love of the Catholic Church, doing their best to steer him away from his religious practices and charitable work.

In short, Pier Giorgio is perhaps one of the most unique and fascinating souls to ever journey down the path to Sainthood, a man John Paul II called, a man of the Beatitudes. But the power of his story is frozen solid in an immense glacier sitting atop the globe; my goal is to melt that glacier, letting his life seep into the oceans and fall upon each shore in the form of virtuous waves that tumble and crash with an Italian accent.

I was only 29 when I began writing this, so it was rather fitting and providential to study a man so inspirational to young people in particular. When I neared the completion of this book, I felt as if Pier Giorgio had become my brother. It is my hope and prayer that you feel the same way after reading it. Through all my research and writing efforts, consisting of long hours in the quiet pitch of night, I have tried to relay his tale with the utmost respect and honor. For any failures, may God forgive me.

My thanks goes out to the people of Saint Benedict Press and TAN Books, especially Rick Rotondi and Conor Gallagher, for presenting me with this opportunity. I also want to thank Allison Schumacher, Paul Thigpen, and Morgan Witt for all their help and edits. On a personal note, I want to thank my parents, as well as my brother and his family, and my wifes family, for their continued love and support. Last but not least, I must thank my wife, Tina (youre my favorite person), and our children, Connor and Magdalene.