Hope: The Autobiography

Hope by Pope Francis don’t come at you loud—it comes like a whisper on the wind, steady and kind. It’s the kind of book you don’t rush through. You sit with it, like you’d sit with an old friend on the porch, sipping coffee while the sun comes up. Francis speaks plain and gentle, but what he says cuts deep. He names the hurt in the world—wars, loneliness, poverty, division—but he don’t stop there. He keeps turning our eyes back toward something stronger: a hope rooted in mercy, in tenderness, in the quiet presence of Christ walking beside the broken.The Pope writes like a man who’s seen both sorrow and grace. His words don’t preach down—they kneel beside you. He reminds us that hope ain’t a feeling you chase, it’s a decision you make. It’s living like love matters. It’s showing up when your neighbor’s lost someone. It’s believing God’s still moving, even when the sky stays gray. You hear echoes of scripture, sure—but also echoes of our own lives. He makes room for doubt, for grief, and somehow still invites you to believe anyway.Motifs of light in darkness, of seeds in the soil, of wounds that heal shine through the pages. He don’t dress them up—they’re just there, honest and bare, like desert land. And behind it all, there’s this New Monastic rhythm—simple, grounded, communal. Francis wants us to know we ain’t meant to walk this road alone. Hope, he says, is something we build together, one act of compassion at a time.I happened to finish this little book not long after His Holiness passed. That hit heavy. Felt like his final blessing. Pope Francis was a shepherd who walked with the poor, spoke truth with a soft voice, and taught us that compassion ain’t just a feeling—it’s a holy duty. May he rest easy in God’s peace, and may we carry forward the hope he gave, like candles lit from one flame to the next.

Just finishing this book because I intentionally wanted to take my time to appreciate the Pope's history and his perspective. Excellent insight into the world at the Vatican.

Excellent biography of one of our true national leaders!!

What an interesting read.

Pope Francis wrote his autobiography with style, wit and sincerity.He had so many experiences growing up, so he was worldly.His calling to the priesthood came early.What a remarkable man. Highly recommended.

I will reread this book. So much a teacher was Pope Francis and so much in this book I need to understand and learn. I will miss him.

Reading this book feels like one is listening to our beloved Pope Francis speaking in his own voice with that warm smile on his face.It’s like a story being told on a fire place in late evenings somewhere in a little village called Kariba or any other small community setting for that matter.It’s a book to read.

Wonderful book! So fascinating about a great man!