My Brother, the Pope

The first thing many people want to know when talk turns to the pope—any pope—is “What is he really like?” That curiosity is a natural reaction not only to the power and prestige of the Roman pontiff but also to the aura of mystery that seems to make him so remote as a person. So who better to provide insight into the life of the current pope, Benedict XVI, than his own brother? Georg Ratzinger is no Billy Carter, but rather a lifelong priest, like his brother Joseph, and he provides a warm but also honest and very illuminating memoir of their life together, from their childhood in Bavaria to Georg’s insider view of his brother’s life as pope. This volume is as revealing about Benedict as any other analysis of his beliefs and policies, because it provides a first-person account of the familial and religious dynamics that shaped, and continue to direct, Benedict’s approach to the Catholic Church today. And if this isn’t a celebrity tell-all, there are plenty of entertaining details, such as the real story about Benedict’s cats and his complete lack of any kitchen skills. Photos. (Mar.)