The latest Human Adventure Books publication, Dearest Friend by Pier Paolo Bellini and Chiara Piccinini, describes the fascinating trajectory of an adult life fully given over to the pursuit and service of Christ. Enzo Piccinini, who was leaning toward the extremist left in his early days, met Fr. Luigi Giussani while in the throes of his search for meaning and purpose as a young man. This new teacher offered an intensely sincere friendship to Enzo. Giussani did not cast moralistic judgments but embraced him exactly as he was, and accompanied him as he grew increasingly and radically attached to that which is true and beautiful, and to pointing the way for others.



The focus of this book is not on Fr. Giussani but on Enzo himself and how he lived and worked mostly during the final 15 years of his life, finding his joy in the Church through his ministry with (and toward) the people of Communion and Liberation, while fulfilling his calling as a surgeon and as a family man. The book is unapologetically honest, highlighting not only Enzo’s heroic sacrifices and luminous successes but also his missteps and foibles, some of which were glaring. In this regard, he was never scandalized by himself or others, because there is “Someone who wanted us and loved us so much that He put us here together, over-valuing each of us (me first of all). Over-valuing us, over-esteeming us. Here lies all our strength. You who think that you are worse than everyone else, you who have a thousand doubts, who would not want to be here… even you! This is the newness of the world.”

This book illustrates one brilliant man’s quest – always in the company of those given to him – to bring this newness to the world, beginning with an encounter with “metaphysics,” as Fr. Giussani explained: “Enzo was a man who, from the intuition he had in a dialogue with me 30 years ago, said his ‘Yes’ to Christ with an astounding devotion, intelligent and total in outlook, and he dedicated his life completely to Christ and His Church.”

Themes of companionship, obedience, love, grace, adventure, risk, and self-gift are richly profiled and explored in this deeply moving and provocative work, written in honor of a man now (and not surprisingly) a candidate for canonization.

** Dearest Friend will be available for purchase at the Human Adventure Books table at the New York Encounter. By the end of February copies will also be available for sale at https://humanadventurebooks.com/