About the book

The heartwarming and profound story of Kiril Lakota, a cardinal who reluctantly steps out from behind the Iron Curtain to lead the Catholic Church as pope, and finds himself thrown into the machinations of Cold War politics. This international bestselling novel remains one of Morris West's best known works and is the first title in his Vatican Trilogy. The pope is dead and the corridors of the Vatican hum with intrigue as cardinals gather to elect his successor. The result is a surprise: the new pope is the youngest of them all-a bearded Ukrainian. The Shoes of the Fisherman is the moving story of Kiril I, recently released from seventeen years in Siberian labour camps and haunted by his past. Not only is he the leader of a fractured Catholic Church, but he also finds he must confront his inquisitor and tormentor in order to avert another world war. An international bestseller, The Shoes of the Fisherman is one of the great novels of the twentieth century and is still widely read today. It is the first novel in Morris West's Vatican trilogy. 'Tough, spare, brilliant, vital.' The Bookman 'High drama . . . beautifully executed.' The Sunday Times 'A masterpiece.' Chicago Tribune