Tracy Kidder, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of the bestsellers The Soul of a New Machine, House, and the enduring classic Mountains Beyond Mountains, has been described by the Baltimore Sun as the “master of the non-fiction narrative.” In this new book, Kidder gives us the superb story of a hero for our time. Strength in What Remains is a wonderfully written, inspiring account of one man’s remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him–a brilliant testament to the power of will and of second chances.
Deo arrives in America from Burundi in search of a new life. Having survived a civil war and genocide, plagued by horrific dreams, he lands at JFK airport with two hundred dollars, no English, and no contacts. He ekes out a precarious existence delivering groceries, living in Central Park, and learning English by reading dictionaries in bookstores. Then Deo begins to meet the strangers who will change his life, pointing him eventually in the direction of Columbia University, medical school, and a life devoted to healing. Kidder breaks new ground in telling this unforgettable story as he travels with Deo back over a turbulent life in search of meaning and forgiveness.
An extraordinary writer, Tracy Kidder once again shows us what it means to be fully human by telling a story about the heroism inherent in ordinary people, a story about a life based on hope.
Wow, Deogratias, the main character has had quite a life full of agonizing pain, violence, homelessness, being looked down upon, bigotry, and dealing with a completely different culture with a different language, different rules, and people who take advantage of him.
And yet, through it all, he has strength, determination, courage, hope, dedication and an incredible drive. I'm not sure I would have the character strengths that Deogratias has if I had to face his challenges. It makes me realize how priveledged I am and many of us are in the U.S. and puts in perspective our petty complaints that seem not so petty when we are complaining about them.
Strength in What Remains is such a fitting title-I can't imagine a better one as Deogratias demonstrated such strength when what remained seemed so little. His name seemed to be very befitting--it means thanks be to God. And although at times, he seemed to feel as if he wanted God to take his life, I think that overall, he seemed to be able to be thankful in spite of his circumstances. And he always looked forward and took steps towards a better tomorrow. At one point, he walked one hour each way to work for what was a minimum wage job and I wondered to myself, how many of us would do that? He certainly earned everything he came by, even if it was sometimes given to him by utter strangers. It reminds me of the saying, God helps those who help themselves. Somehow, in spite of his various circumstances, lack of english, no housing, etc., he was able to get connected to people who helped him continue to achieve his dreams.
This story is very engaging and difficult to put down. Although there is much pain, I found it to be more uplifting as you see clearly the true nature of the human spirit and the possibilities in life. There are a handful of people I would love to meet in this world and Deogratias is now one of them.
I am very grateful for Tracy Kidder's ability to put such a story down in words in such a beautiful and engaging manner. It is a tribute to his writing style and a gift to us all.
As far as the history goes and the theory's of genocide, I was not too interested. But that is certainly a personal preference. I was much more interested in the very personal account of Deogratias life. Others, however, may find the other equally as compelling.
This book would be an awesome book for book clubs. I will be recommending it to mine. And, I now want to read "mountains beyond mountains" by Tracy Kidder as well because if he writes as good in that book as this, it will also be a compelling read.
If I had to predict, I would think that Tracy Kidder will win another pulitzer prize for this book.
I highly recommend reading this book even if you have no interest in genocide, rwanda, etc. as this book transcends the specific trauma of that and touches the human spirit.
writes,
If you have seen Hotel Rwanda (and if you have not I recommend you do) scenes from the movie will echo in your head as you read Strength in What Remains.
Had this been fiction I would have judged it more harshly. I found the first half of the book to be much more coherent and interesting than the second half. In the first half one really come to understand Deo, as much as a privileged American can comprehend. Deo is truly an amazing man, intelligent, thoughtful and determined. I also learned quite a bit of history, especially about the Tutsi and Hutu.
In the second half the narrative seems to drift a bit, I am sure it was necessary in order to tie up the loose ends and explain what had happened to Deo but I found it less moving and more tedious than the first half.
The topic was fascinating, the characters well delineated but somehow it simply lacked the coherence and presentation that would have made it a five star book.
writes,
Most of us have heard of the slaughter in Rwanda but remain unaware of a small neighboring country called Burundi that was involved in the same conflagration. "Strength in What Remains" is the story of Deo, a refugee struggling with memories of genocide who is determined to make a new life in the U.S. He starts out delivering groceries and squatting in abandoned tenements, but the violent conditions drive him to sleeping in Central Park. Fortunately Deo meets a series of extraordinary people who feed, clothe and house him, straighten out his immigration woes, and arrange for the continuation of his genocide-interrupted medical schooling.
Tracy Kidder has been described as a master of narrative, and he deftly interweaves the story of Deo arriving in the U.S. and thinking and behaving as an African torn straight from a village and delivered into a megalopolis, the whole experience underlain by memories of running, starvation, sickness, fear, machetes, and not-knowing, but the presumption that the rest of his family has been slaughtered. Kidder places Burundi into the perspective of a colonial remnant once exploited by Belgium, and we see life much as Deo does, the fact of everyday existence haunted by the things he experienced during months on foot as he hid in the jungle, passed through refugee camps and displayed what is ultimately an incredible instinct for survival. Deo eventually built a clinic in Burundi and divides his time between there and the U.S. having overcome every obstacle in his path in order to help others, paying forward the help he himself received.
