It is an extraordinary posthumous work that gathers the experiences of the spokesman of the Sala Stampa for more than 20 years during the pontificate of Saint John Paul II (1984–2005). As the subtitle indicates, these are the personal notes he wrote and collected over those decades. The aim is to highlight the more human side of one of the most important popes in history. The author expresses his gratitude for having worked with a saint and shows his clear awareness of having been a privileged man, who had direct access to the pontiff, accompanied him on practically all his trips, and also during his vacations in the mountains.
The style of the book is journalistic, clear, humorous, warm, and objective: all the memories are dated, with specific places and a context. It communicates his closeness, admiration, and filial affection. It consists of 50 chapters in chronological order. The title gives a certain unity to the notes, which are presented with a heading and the date.
By way of example, I will mention three memories, unconnected with each other. He never saw John Paul II lose his sense of humor or be overwhelmed by events. He decided to leave in the hands of the Virgin whether it was better for Lefebvre to remain within the Church or to leave it. On one of his vacations, he rests during a short nap; the author is moved to see him sleep in holy peace, entrusting the helm of the Church to God. He thought it was a gift for the Church that he could sleep so peacefully in the middle of the mountains.
Navarro-Valls states that it can be said, without fear of exaggeration, that the day of the funeral was a very special day in the history of the Vatican, which has witnessed so many events. I highly recommend reading it.