Francesco Bernardone was the son of a wealthy man, but had been seized by a deep desire to live a simple existence without possessions, nourished only by love of God. People said he was crazy and perhaps he was.
Having a pretty ideal is one thing, actually living it is another. How could he stay simple, when life was complicated? How could he be a man of peace when society was fearful and hostile? It was not so simple to be simple, Francesco found.
This is the story of young Francesco's first, fumbling attempts to discover his new vocation. It is set against the colorful panorama of 13th century Italy—its rich towns, country inns and monasteries and the poor, benighted people who lived in them. Includes the tale of Francis and the wolf of Gubbio. Both adolescents and adults will enjoy rediscovering the coming-of-age of the man who would become St. Francis of Assisi.