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A review by bookgirl4ever
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculée Ilibagiza
5.0
A heart-wrenching, yet inspirational account of Immaculee and seven other women hide in a small bathroom at her pastor's house (hidden even from his children who he fear may get caught up in the hysteria of killing Tutsis) for three months. Meanwhile, the Hutu "killers" are running around Rwanda trying to massacre all the Tutsi. Sometimes you wonder if Immaculee and the other seven in the bathroom are the only ones left.
Under these circumstances, Immaculee, already a religious woman and highly intelligent, strengthens her relationship with God. Often her faith is challenged as she hears radio accounts of what is happening (accounts that are often pro-Hutu and encourage the brutal killing of Tutsis), the house is searched frequently from top to bottom because her local villagers turned killers believe the pastor is still hiding Tutsis, and she finds her family has all been slaughtered. Immaculee receives revelation and comfort that she will survive, that she will be okay, and that God is mindful of her and her people's suffering.
I find myself reflecting on what I heard about Rwanda, mostly in regards to the U.S. soldiers going to Rwanda and being slaughtered. Originally, I had decided this was a huge mistake, however, after reading of the horrible crimes against humanity and the brutality of the killings, I have changed my mind. We don't really know if sending troops over was a poor decision, regardless that our soldiers died. Perhaps, the Western world should have sent troops in when the genocide began, before so many Hutus were smitten with the blood lust.
What is the responsibility of the rest of the world when we see such things happening?
The audio book was very well done, although abridged.
Also, a good book club book.
Under these circumstances, Immaculee, already a religious woman and highly intelligent, strengthens her relationship with God. Often her faith is challenged as she hears radio accounts of what is happening (accounts that are often pro-Hutu and encourage the brutal killing of Tutsis), the house is searched frequently from top to bottom because her local villagers turned killers believe the pastor is still hiding Tutsis, and she finds her family has all been slaughtered. Immaculee receives revelation and comfort that she will survive, that she will be okay, and that God is mindful of her and her people's suffering.
I find myself reflecting on what I heard about Rwanda, mostly in regards to the U.S. soldiers going to Rwanda and being slaughtered. Originally, I had decided this was a huge mistake, however, after reading of the horrible crimes against humanity and the brutality of the killings, I have changed my mind. We don't really know if sending troops over was a poor decision, regardless that our soldiers died. Perhaps, the Western world should have sent troops in when the genocide began, before so many Hutus were smitten with the blood lust.
What is the responsibility of the rest of the world when we see such things happening?
The audio book was very well done, although abridged.
Also, a good book club book.