An encounter that changes everything. At the Liceo Berchet in Milan, between 1955 and 1958, a young student met Don Luigi Giussani (1922–2005), founder of the Communion and Liberation Movement, who was to become the ‘father’ of his faith. From that moment began a Christian journey capable of engaging with every circumstance with a constructive outlook.

This collection of letters between the author and “Don Gius”, unusual in that it is posthumous, is a grateful and vibrant tribute, made up of personal memories and clear reflections on the Church and the world. A common thread runs through it: belonging to a community guided with tenderness and firmness, in which every person is at the centre and the reference point for all is Jesus Christ, as the fulfilment of every desire for good.

Zola bears witness that obedience and freedom are not in conflict: within lived unity, a bold creativity is kindled, a ‘bold’ presence in reality, in one’s vocation, in responsibilities, in friendships, in society. The volume is introduced by an Invitation to Read by Davide Prosperi and a Preface by Monsignor M