Written by a personal friend of Cardinal Van Thuan, this moving biography chronicles the life of the man Pope John Paul II says was "...marked by a heroic configuration with Christ on the cross." From a communist jail cell, to Rome as the leader of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan remained a man of unshakable faith and undying hope.

"Van Thuan survived a nightmare in human history and transformed it into a dream for a future of the Church and of humanity. A story unbelievably complex, a message incredibly simple: hope alive in one person can transform the world. A book for anyone who needs to keep their courage alive..." --Sr. Helen Prejean, Author, Dead Man Walking

"I have been deeply moved by the example and writings of Cardinal Van Thuan. Any reader with Christian values will find in his biography and writings a new insight into Christian faith, hope and charity. Having met the Cardinal on the day of his elevation to the cardinalate. I knew I was meeting someone very special. There was a certain inner light that touched everyone who spoke to him that day. I have only experienced this one time before--when I met Mother Teresa."

--Rev. Benedict Groeschel, CFR