Strength in What Remains

Tracy Kidder's new book Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness is a compelling story of genocide, healing, selflessness, and perseverance. When violence between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes irrupted in Burundi in the early 1990s, Deo narrowly escaped death and spent months on the run, hiding in forests. He finally escaped from Burundi in 1994. He was 24 and had completed three years of medical school. When he arrived in New York City, he had very little money, no place to stay, and could not speak English. He ended up living in Central Park, delivering groceries twelve hours a day, making only $15. But his tenacity drove him to keep working, and eventually, with the help of new friends, he was able to enroll in Columbia University, and later Dartmouth, to complete his medical degree. He then went to work for Partners in Health with Paul Farmer, and began working on building a health care clinic in Burundi.

Kidder is a wonderful writer and storyteller. I loved his last book, Mountains Beyond Mountains, and this one is just as good. He has this ability to get to the heart of his "characters" and make you feel like you know them. He also has great talent for describing life in Africa, as well as life on the streets of New York City. Burundi and the places Deo lived in New York City are so foreign to us, yet you feel as if you are there. Although there are many tragedies, this is an inspiring, engaging story that shouldn't be missed.