My Brother, the Pope

My Brother, the Pope, by Georg Ratzinger
 
Georg Ratzinger's recollections of his family's life, and especially that of his brother Joseph (Pope Benedict XVI) form the basis of this book, starting with memories such as Joseph as a small boy regularly visiting a stuffed bear in the local shop and being heart-broken when it disappeared. His memories are interspersed with sections by the interviewer that help provide context and background. As a student, Joseph was a natural scholar, not only doing assigned work, but always reading additional books to explore ideas more fully. The Ratzingers were a close knit and devout family whose hatred of National Socialism made the war years especially difficult. Both boys always expected to be priests. However, Joseph never sought nor wanted important positions of prominence, but would have been happy spending his life as a teacher/priest/scholar. Being selected Pope came as "a thunderbolt", but, as always, he put himself at the disposal of the Holy Spirit and did/does the best he can.
-Nancy